World News | SpaceX Ferries Astronauts Back to Earth After Half-year Away

Cape Canaveral (US), Oct 15 (AP) Four astronauts returned to Earth in a SpaceX capsule, ending their nearly six-month space station mission with a splashdown in the Atlantic off Florida.

Wet and windy weather across Florida delayed their homecoming. SpaceX and NASA finally gave the all-clear on Friday, and the three Americans and one Italian departed the International Space Station, their residence since April.

Also Read | Disturbing Video: Pakistan in Shock After Scores of Rotting Bodies Found on Multan Hospital's Roof.

The capsule parachuted into the ocean, just off Jacksonville, Florida, about five hours after it left the space station. It carried NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman to complete a long-term spaceflight, and the European Space Agency's Samantha Cristoforetti. SpaceX delivered their replacements last week.

Before checking out, the astronauts said they couldn't wait to have a cold drink with ice, eat some pizza and ice cream, take a shower, revel in nature and, of course, reunite with their families. NASA planned to hustle them to Houston once they were off SpaceX's recovery ship and back on solid ground.

Also Read | Yemen: 10 Child Leukemia Patients Killed After Administration of Expired Doses of Cancer Treatment Drug.

"Getting the first few hugs when we get back is really going to be awesome," Hines told reporters earlier in the week.

Remaining aboard the space station are three Americans, three Russians and one Japanese. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)