Astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary head back to Earth after private space station mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The International Space Station's first visitors from India, Poland and Hungary headed back to Earth on Monday, wrapping up a private mission and catching a ride home with SpaceX.

Their capsule undocked from the orbiting lab and aimed for a splashdown the next morning in the Pacific off the Southern California coast.

The short, privately financed mission marked the first time in more than 40 years that India, Poland and Hungary saw one of their own rocket into orbit. The three astronauts were accompanied by America's most experienced space flier, Peggy Whitson, who works for Axiom Space, which chartered the flight. They launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on June 25.

India's Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungary's Tibor Kapu conducted dozens of experiments during their stay. They also fielded calls from their countries' prime ministers as well as schoolchildren.

"We will spread the word in our countries that these things are within our reach. These things are possible even for smaller countries like ours,'' Kapu said during Sunday's farewell ceremony, which ended in an emotional group hug.

Shukla noted that ''it's truly a miracle'' when humanity comes together for a common goal.

''The sky is no longer the limit. We can explore space,'' added Uznanski-Wisniewski.

Uznanski-Wisniewski took special pride in the first pierogies in space. He took up the cabbage and mushroom-stuffed dumplings, which were freeze-dried in advance for easy cooking in zero gravity.

Their three countries shared the cost of the mission, paying more than $65 million apiece.

It was Axiom's fourth station trip since 2022. The Houston company's clientele includes the wealthy as well as countries seeking representation in space. NASA embraces commercial spaceflight, helping to set the stage for private space stations in the works by Axiom and others, as well as lunar landers.

The space station's seven full-time residents remain behind in orbit, representing the U.S., Russia and Japan. Four of them will be replaced in a few weeks by a fresh crew launched for NASA by SpaceX.

''Safe journey home to the best planet in the solar system,'' the space station's Anne McClain radioed as the private crew departed.

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