On Tuesday, four astronauts from four countries returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX lift, ending a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.
Their capsule crossed the United States in the pre-dawn darkness and splashed into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle.
NASA/AFP (via Getty Images)
NASA Marine helicopter pilot Jasmin Moghbeli led the returning crew, which included Denmark’s Andreas Mogensen, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa, and Russia’s Konstantin Borisov.
They moved to the space station last August.
Their replacement arrived last week in the company’s SpaceX capsule.
AP
“I left some peanut butter and tortillas,” Moghbeli radioed after leaving the orbital complex on Monday.
NASA’s Loral O’Hara responded: “We will miss you all. Thank you for your very generous gift.”
O’Hara will remain at the space station for several more weeks before departing aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule.
Before leaving the space station, Mogensen said on Twitter that he couldn’t wait to hear “the birds chirping in the trees” and eat some crunchy food.
NASA prioritizes multiple travel options in case of rocket trouble.
Boeing is expected to begin offering astronaut taxi service in early May with test flights conducted by two pilots.
