Four astronauts have returned to Earth after a delayed mission aboard the International Space Station, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles aboard a SpaceX capsule.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway travelled home with France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrey Fedyaev on Wednesday, ending a lengthy separation from their families.
Their return had been postponed after replacement crew members arrived three weeks late because of repairs to their capsule. The astronauts had been looking forward to fresh air, showers and, in Adenot’s case, returning to water sports.
“We are so excited to be back on Planet Earth after an incredible mission on the International Space Station,” Meir radioed shortly after landing.
She had earlier said the crew were experiencing “a lot of mixed, swirling emotions” and would miss the views of Earth from orbit.
All four astronauts left the capsule within an hour of splashdown, waving and raising their fists aboard SpaceX’s recovery ship. They were then due to travel by helicopter to shore before continuing to Houston.
Meir and her colleagues launched in February to replace four astronauts who had been sent home early after one of them, NASA’s now-retired Mike Fincke, became ill. It was NASA’s first medical evacuation during 65 years of human spaceflight.
During their time in orbit, the crew watched the Artemis II astronauts fly around the Moon and marked the United States’ 250th birthday. Meir also joined the Boston Pops for a Fourth of July concert, playing the piccolo.
Meir completed four spacewalks, while Adenot made three excursions outside the station to carry out maintenance and upgrades to the 28-year-old outpost.
The astronauts also found time for a dance party and regular cooking demonstrations. Meir recorded a video on caring for curly hair in space, while Hathaway became known for maintaining a bushy naval aviator-style moustache in weightlessness.
Hathaway said in August that the moustache had become “a little bit of my brand up here”, leaving open the question of whether he would keep it after returning to Earth. Some ground controllers grew moustaches in solidarity.
Seven astronauts remain aboard the space station, representing the US, Russia and Canada. Since opening its doors in 2000, the orbiting laboratory has hosted 298 visitors from 26 countries, according to NASA.
