NASA images showed the capsule slowly drifting away from the ISS in the darkness of space, ending a two-month stay for the first US astronauts to reach the laboratory in orbit on an American spacecraft in nearly a decade.
"And they left!" The US space agency tweeted, with Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken set to splash on Sunday.
Its proposed splash sites are off the west coast of Florida, while Tropical Storm Isaias is heading toward the state's east coast.
NASA chose to take the couple home despite the threat from Isaías, which was downgraded to a tropical storm by a hurricane on Saturday.
The agency later added that the capsule was confirmed to be "on a safe trajectory."
"Now is the entry, descent and splash phase after we undock, hopefully a little later today," Hurley said at a farewell ceremony aboard the ISS that aired on NASA television.
"The teams are working very hard, especially with the weather dynamics in the coming days in Florida," he said.
Earlier, during the ISS ceremony, Behnken said, "The hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is getting us home."
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