Their SpaceX capsule was missing from the international space station on Monday and was parachuted in the ocean off the south-californian coast, less than 24 hours later.
The crew of four people took off almost three weeks ago on a flight chartered by the Houstonian company Axiom Space.
Peggy Whitson, the most experienced American astronaut in Axiom, was a commander. She was accompanied by the Indian Shubhanshu Shukla, the Polish Slawosz Uznanski-Wisnishwski and the Hungarian Tibor Kapu, whose countries each paid more than US $ 65 million for the mission.
“Thank you for this beautiful walk and a safe trip,” said Whitson by Radio, a few moments after the bittering. Its record is now 695 days in space spread over five missions, more than any other American or woman.
Visit astronauts have conducted dozens of orbit experiences while celebrating their inheritance. The last time that India, Poland and Hungary sent someone to space was in the late 1970s and 1980s, with a Soviet launch. They praised and smiled out of the capsule, one by one, in the morning darkness.
It was the fourth mission of Axiom towards the orbital outpost since 2022, as part of the continuous efforts of NASA to open the space to more companies and people.
Axiom is one of the many companies to develop their own space stations to replace the current one. NASA plans to abandon the outpost in 2030, after more than 30 years of operation.