Four astronauts return to Earth after eight months aboard International Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Thursday after traveling there eight months ago to replace a colleague and his crew. SpaceX facilitated the return of the U.S., French, and Russian astronauts with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles. NASA's Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France's Sophie Adenot, and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev departed the orbiting lab on Wednesday, looking forward to reuniting with their families after a lengthy separation. Their replacements arrived three weeks late due to capsule repairs, delaying this crew's homecoming. Meir expressed excitement about being back on Earth after their mission, stating they had "a lot of mixed, swirling emotions" and would miss the "extraordinary views of our home planet." All four astronauts exited their capsule within an hour, celebrating aboard SpaceX's recovery ship before heading to shore and then to Houston. Meir and her crew left Earth in February to replace four station occupants who returned early after one of them, NASA's Mike Fincke, fell ill, marking NASA's first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight. The new crew observed the Artemis II astronauts' lunar mission two months later and celebrated the United States' 250th birthday in space, with Meir participating in a Fourth of July concert. Meir completed four spacewalks, while Adenot conducted three for maintenance and upgrades to the space station. The astronauts also engaged in recreational activities, including a dance party and cooking demonstrations. Hathaway maintained his mustache, which he grew to honor his Navy ties, and noted that it was manageable in weightlessness. Currently, seven astronauts remain aboard the space station, representing the U.S., Russia, and Canada. Since 2000, the outpost has welcomed 298 visitors from 26 countries, according to NASA.