After experiencing delays due to stormy weather in Florida, the first all-European private astronaut mission has successfully returned to Earth. The crew, which spent an additional six days in space, finally departed from the International Space Station and splashed down off the Florida coast early Friday morning.
Originally scheduled to return on Saturday, the crew extended their stay in space due to poor weather conditions in the recovery zone off Florida. SpaceX made the decision to delay the return, ensuring that wave height, wind, and rain met NASA’s recovery criteria for a safe return.
After days of weather delays, the crew’s departure was cleared as the storm system causing problems moved away from the recovery zone. The Dragon spacecraft pushed away from the station and began its journey back to Earth, eventually descending to the ocean off Florida’s coast.
During their time in space, the crew conducted over 30 experiments in microgravity, including biomedical research, sleep studies, and even cooking pasta in space. The mission, which included crew members from Italy, Turkey, and Sweden, marked the first all-European human spaceflight to the ISS.
Commander López-Alegría, who had previously led a mission to the ISS in April 2022, was part of this historic all-European crew. The successful return of the private astronaut mission marks a significant achievement in international space exploration.