Space travelers from NASA safely land on Earth following a five-month stint on the International Space Station (ISS)

The SpaceX Dragon capsule, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, successfully returned four astronauts to Earth on Saturday, marking the end of NASA's 10th commercial crew rotation and the conclusion of a 146-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS).

The crew, consisting of Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov, known as NASA's Crew-10, splashed down off California's coast in the Pacific Ocean at 3.33 p.m. UTC/GMT. The SpaceX Dragon capsule was used for the return journey.

During their mission, the astronauts conducted over 200 experiments, including studies on plant growth and cell behavior in microgravity. These research projects aim to pave the way for future long-duration space travel and to advance our understanding of life in space.

The Crew-10 mission replaced Crew-9, which consisted of Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams. Unfortunately, due to propulsion issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, Wilmore and Williams had been stranded aboard the ISS for nine months.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule that brought Wilmore and Williams back from the ISS was named Crew Dragon Endeavour. After their safe return, Wilmore announced his retirement from NASA this week, bringing an end to his 25-year career with the space agency.

Upon splashdown, McClain, the Dragon commander, radioed a message of thanks. The successful mission is a testament to the collaborative efforts of SpaceX and NASA in making space travel more accessible and safe for astronauts.

With the return of the Crew-10 mission, the ISS is once again home to a new crew. Last week, US astronaut Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov boarded the ISS for a six-month mission. Their mission will continue the valuable research and experiments that are essential for our continued exploration of space.

Space travelers from NASA safely land on Earth following a five-month stint on the International Space Station (ISS)