Four astronauts back on Earth after capsule trouble and hurricane delays

In this image made from a NASA livestream, the two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June 2024, Butch Wilmore, far left, and Suni Williams, far right, welcome two new residents who flew up on SpaceX, NASA’s Nick Hague, front left in blue, and the Russian Space Agency’s Alexander Gorbunov, front right in blue, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Behind them, from left in black, are NASA’s Jeanette Epps, Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin, NASA’s Mike Barratt and NASA’s Matthew Dominick. From left, wearing red, are Russia’s Ivan Vagner, NASA’s Don Pettit and Russia’s Alexei Ovchinin. (NASA via AP)

Four astronauts have returned to Earth after an extended stay on board the International Space Station caused by problems with Boeing’s capsule and dangers posed by Hurricane Milton.

A SpaceX capsule carrying the crew parachuted before dawn into the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida coast after undocking from the space station in midweek.