Four astronauts have safely returned to Earth after nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their homecoming, which took place early Friday morning, was delayed due to issues with Boeing's new Starliner capsule and the impact of Hurricane Milton. A SpaceX capsule carrying the crew parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Florida coast, after undocking from the ISS earlier this week.
The crew, consisting of three Americans—NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps—and Russian astronaut Alexander Grebenkin, was originally scheduled to return two months ago. Their mission was extended when Boeing's Starliner capsule, which was supposed to bring them home, returned empty in September due to safety concerns. This was followed by Hurricane Milton, along with two weeks of high winds and rough seas.
The astronauts were launched into space in March, and Barratt, the mission's only experienced astronaut, expressed gratitude for the support teams on the ground. He acknowledged their efforts in having to "replan, retool and kind of redo everything right along with us ... and helped us to roll with all those punches."
Their replacements include two Starliner test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who had their own mission extended from eight days to eight months, along with two astronauts who were launched by SpaceX four weeks ago. These four will remain aboard the ISS until February.
Following the crew's return, the space station has resumed its normal crew size of seven, which includes four Americans and three Russians, after months of having additional personnel on board.
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