Ankara:A four-member international astronaut team has successfully returned to Earth after completing a lengthy mission aboard the International Space Station. They concluded their journey with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California.

According to Anadolu Agency, the splashdown was confirmed at 1534 GMT when the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft landed in the targeted waters. This marked the end of a 237-day scientific expedition in orbit.

The Crew-12 team included NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, who served as the mission commander, and Jack Hathaway, the mission pilot. They were joined by European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The crew departed the International Space Station on Wednesday.

These astronauts initially launched toward the station on February 13 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Their return follows the arrival of the Replacement Crew-13 mission, which launched on October 1.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, speaking to Fox Business, highlighted the broader goals of American space exploration. He emphasized the importance of returning to the moon, building a lunar base, and mastering various skills. Isaacman noted the focus on validating mobility suits, habitability, power systems, and communications on the lunar surface as preparations for future crewed missions to Mars, which he described as the "next step on this journey."