That's a wrap
Thank you for joining us for the return of two Saudi astronauts to Earth. Live coverage will now close.
Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni have successfully completed their eight-day mission to the International Space Station.
Follow The National's space editor Sarwat Nasir on Twitter and bookmark our dedicated UAE in Space page for more coverage.
Saudi astronauts exit the Dragon capsule
Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni have safely exited the Dragon capsule.
They will now board a helicopter, so they can see their families, who have been waiting in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Saudi astronauts wave to the camera after Dragon hatch opened
The Ax-2 crew members have been recovered safely after a splashdown off the coast of Florida.
Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Al Qarni, Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner were seen waving after a SpaceX recovery team opened the hatch of the Dragon capsule.
Dragon capsule recovered safely on to SpaceX boat
A Dragon capsule that is carrying two Saudi and two American astronauts has been lifted out of the water and recovered on to a SpaceX boat.
The recovery team is currently unlocking the hatch of the spacecraft.
A doctor will be the first one to see the crew for medical checks, before they can exit the spacecraft.
The crew will then be flown on a helicopter to their families, who are waiting in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
SpaceX recovery team attempts to retrieve Saudi astronauts after safe landing
A SpaceX recovery team has reached the site of the Dragon capsule.
They will try to load the spacecraft on to a boat and then unlock the hatch and retrieve the Ax-2 crew members, which includes Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni and two American astronauts Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner.
The crew will undergo medical checks and then be flown on a helicopter to their families, who are waiting in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Saudi astronauts splashdown safely off the coast of Florida
Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni have safely landed back on Earth, after a SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying them splashed down off the coast of Florida at 7.04am.
A SpaceX recovery boat will now head towards the spacecraft to unlock the hatch and retrieve the crew.
The two Saudi astronauts and their two American colleagues had a successful eight-day stay on the International Space Station, as part of the Ax-2 mission by Houston company Axiom Space.
Parachutes deployed to help Dragon capsule splashdown safely
A set of parachutes on the Dragon capsule have been deployed to help the two Saudi and two American astronauts on board splashdown safely in the waters off the coast of Florida at 7.04am.
Saudi astronauts re-enter Earth's atmosphere
It will attempt a splashdown off the coast of Florida at 7am, after deploying parachutes.
Once in the water, a SpaceX recovery boat will head towards the spacecraft to unlock the hatch and receive the Saudi and two American astronauts.
A successful recovery means that the Ax-2 mission by Houston company Axiom Space has been completed.
The crew of four spent eight days living and working aboard the International Space Station.
Ms Barnawi became the first Arab woman to go on a space mission.
Loss of contact with Dragon capsule as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere
Mission control in Houston has lost communication with the Dragon capsule that is carrying two Saudi astronauts, as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere.
The loss of signal, which is expected to last seven minutes, takes place because the exterior of the spacecraft experiences extremely hot temperatures during the re-entry burn.
But a cool nitrox air inside the Dragon cabin keeps the crew comfortable.
Dragon will attempt a splashdown off the coast of Florida at 7am, after deploying parachutes.
Dragon capsule carrying Saudi astronauts set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere
Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni will soon re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, after a 12-hour journey in space aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
The spacecraft departed the International Space Station on Tuesday.
Dragon will initiate a de-orbit burn shortly that is expected to last 13 minutes.
It will then re-enter the planet's atmosphere, with an expected loss of signal with the crew as the capsule experiences extremely hot temperatures from the re-entry burn.
A parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida is expected at 7am.
Ready for splashdown
Good morning and welcome back to the The National's coverage of Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni returning to Earth with a splash.
Follow the live feed above as the two Saudi astronauts re-enter Earth's atmosphere after about a 12-hour glide through space.
In the meantime, here's a wrap of how the pair – along with two other colleagues – left the International Space Station yesterday.
That's a wrap
Thank you for joining us for the departure of two Saudi astronauts from the International Space Station. Live coverage will be closing soon.
There will be more to come from The National on Wednesday, at 6am, as the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni re-enters Earth's atmosphere and prepares to splashdown off the coast of Florida.
Follow The National's space editor Sarwat Nasir on Twitter and bookmark our dedicated UAE in Space page for more coverage.
Saudi astronauts begin journey back to Earth
Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni have begun their journey back to Earth after the Dragon capsule carrying them separated from the International Space Station.
They have now completed their mission aboard the orbiting outpost, where they spent eight days carrying out various science experiments.
Ms Barnawi, 33, a research scientist, became the first Arab woman to go on a space mission.
They were also the first Saudi astronauts to go to space in nearly 40 years, after Prince Sultan bin Salman was launched on Nasa's Space Shuttle in 1985 for a week-long trip.
The Saudi space agency hopes that this will be the first of many space missions by the kingdom, with plans to send citizens on long-duration trips in future.
Ms Barnawi and Mr Al Qarni, along with their two American colleagues, are expected to splashdown off the coast of Florida on Wednesday at 7.10am.
Saudi astronauts set to undock from space station at 7.05pm
Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni are set to undock from the International Space Station at 7.05pm.
The two Saudi astronauts and their two American colleagues are on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will begin its 12-hour journey back to Earth once it undocks.
All checks by mission control in Houston of the spacecraft and the astronauts' flight suits have been completed.
Splashdown is scheduled to take place off the coast of Florida.
Final checks made before Dragon capsule undocks from space station
The Dragon capsule carrying two Saudi and two American astronauts is getting ready to undock from the International Space Station.
The hatches inside the Dragon capsule and the ISS have been tightly closed.
Mission control in Houston is continuing to check for leaks in the astronauts' suits and the spacecraft.
The crew is scheduled to undock from the station at about 7.05pm, with Axiom Space's livestream resuming 15 minutes before that.
After undocking, it will be a 12-hour ride back to Earth, with a splashdown off the coast of Florida expected on Wednesday at 7.10am.
Saudi astronaut Ali Al Qarni closes Dragon capsule's hatch
Saudi astronaut Ali Al Qarni has closed the hatch between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station.
His colleagues Rayyanah Barnawi, Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner are already in their SpaceX pressure suits and sitting in the capsule, before they begin their journey back to Earth.
Mr Al Qarni will now put on his flight suit and then mission control in Houston will check for leaks in the capsule and the pressure suits.
Once all systems are "go", the spacecraft will undock from the station at about 7.05pm.
Saudi astronauts board the SpaceX Dragon capsule
Two Saudi astronauts have boarded a SpaceX Dragon capsule for their journey back to Earth.
Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni spent eight days on the International Space Station, along with American astronauts Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner, as part of the Ax-2 mission by Houston company Axiom Space.
Their trip is now coming to an end, with the capsule scheduled to undock from the station later on Tuesday.
Astronauts on board the ISS are currently ensuring there are no leaks in the spacecraft before closing the hatch between the orbiting outpost and the Dragon capsule.
Saudi Arabia from space
A trip to the ISS isn't complete without a snapshot of your major cities from space. Here Ali Al Qarni captured the Saudi capital Riyadh.
And here Rayyanah Barnawi took a video of the crew passing over Makkah
A return to Earth
Hello and welcome to The National's live coverage of the return of Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni from the International Space Station.
Ms Barnawi made history eight days ago by becoming the first Arab woman to go on a space mission when she travelled with her compatriot on the SpaceX Dragon capsule to the ISS.
The trip boosted the Arab population aboard the space station to three with Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi in the middle of a longer stint. The trio explored the effects of space on human cells during their time in space, in research that could help scientists develop treatments for inflammatory diseases.
Sadly, it is time for Al Neyadi's Saudi colleagues to come home. Live coverage from Nasa will begin at 5pm Gulf Standard Time (4pm Makkah time / 1pm GMT). Al Qarni and Barnawi are due to depart the ISS at 6.45pm and splashdown off the Florida coast is scheduled for the precise time of 7.09am on Wednesday.
Join us tracking them all the way.
Al Qarni: I have learnt a lot from you
“You are such an amazing inspiration and I have learnt a lot from you,” he said.
“And I've enjoyed my time here and hopefully in the future we will be back on another trip very soon.”