Four Astronauts Return to Earth After Eight-Month ISS Mission

Four astronauts successfully returned to Earth on Thursday, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles after an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

SpaceX's capsule brought NASA's Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France's Sophie Adenot, and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev back to the planet. Their return journey was delayed as they waited for their replacements to arrive, which was postponed due to necessary capsule repairs.

Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev launched in February, initially tasked with replacing a crew that included NASA's Mike Fincke, who had to be medically evacuated due to illness. This marked NASA's first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.

During their time on the ISS, the crew witnessed the Artemis II astronauts orbit the moon and participated in activities celebrating the United States' 250th birthday. Meir performed with the Boston Pops on her piccolo for a Fourth of July concert. Meir undertook four spacewalks, while Adenot conducted three spacewalks for maintenance and upgrades to the 28-year-old space station.

The astronauts also found moments for leisure, including a dance party and cooking demonstrations. Hathaway, a naval aviator, notably maintained his mustache, which he had grown to honor his Navy ties, during the mission. "It's kind of become a little bit of my brand up here," Hathaway commented in August regarding his mustache, "so I don't know if it'll go away right away or I'll end up keeping it for a while."

Following their return, the four astronauts were transported by helicopter to shore and were expected to travel to Houston. Seven astronauts from the U.S., Russia, and Canada currently remain aboard the ISS. Since 2000, the space station has hosted 298 visitors from 26 countries.