NASA astronauts aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon expected home on Sunday

Bob Behnken inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station, July 31, 2020./AP

U.S. astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are scheduled to return home today (2 August) after a two-month trip to the International Space Station.

The capsule splashdown is set for 2:41 p.m. EDT (1841 GMT) on Sunday off the coast of western Florida's panhandle, despite fears of tropical storm Isaias heading toward the state's east coast.

The space mission launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on 31 May the first time the U.S. space agency launched a mission from inside the country since its shuttle program retired in 2011.

Russian rockets were the only way for astronauts to get to the space station until SpaceX became the first private company to launch humans into orbit two months ago. Boeing's first crew flight isn't expected until next year.

NASA opted to go ahead with bringing the pair home despite the threat of Isaias, which was downgraded to a tropical storm from a hurricane on Saturday.

The agency later added the capsule was confirmed to be "on a safe trajectory."

"Now is the entry, descent and splashdown phase after we undock, hopefully a little bit later today," Hurley said in a farewell ceremony aboard the ISS that was broadcast on NASA TV.

"The teams are working really hard, especially with the dynamics of the weather over the next few days around Florida," he said.