STORY: NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson splashed down safely in the Pacific early on Tuesday (July 15) after her fifth trip to the International Space Station, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary returning from their countries' first ISS mission.

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four-member team parachuted into calm seas off the Southern California coast at around 2:30 a.m. PDT (0930 GMT) following a fiery re-entry through Earth's atmosphere that capped a 22-hour descent from orbit.

The return flight concluded the fourth ISS mission organized by Texas-based startup Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX, the private rocket venture of billionaire Elon Musk headquartered near Los Angeles.

The return was carried live by a joint SpaceX-Axiom webcast.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary return with NASA veteran from space station

VIDEO SHOWS: ASTRONAUTS INSIDE SPACE CAPSULE / CAPSULE'S PARACHUTES DEPLOYED / CAPSULE SPLASHING INTO WATER / ASTRONAUTS EXITING CAPSULE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: IN SPACE (JULY 15, 2025) (SPACEX - Editorial use only / No resale)

1. CREW SEATED, SEATS ROTATING

IN AIR (JULY 15, 2025) (SPACEX - Editorial use only / No resale)

2. VARIOUS OF CAPSULE'S PARACHUTES DEPLOYING

3. CAPSULE SEEN IN AIR WITH PARACHUTES DEPLOYED

AT SEA (JULY 15, 2025) (SPACEX - Editorial use only / No resale) (NIGHT SHOTS)

4. VARIOUS OF CAPSULE FLOATING IN SEA

5. VARIOUS OF CAPSULE BEING PULLED TO RECOVERY VESSEL

6. WHITE FLASH

7. CAPSULE ON RECOVERY VESSEL

8. RECOVERY CREW OPENING CAPSULE'S HATCH

9. VARIOUS OF SPACEX CREW HELPING NASA RETIREE TURNED PRIVATE U.S. ASTRONAUT, PEGGY WHITSON, EXIT CAPSULE

10. VARIOUS OF SPACEX CREW HELPING INDIAN PILOT, SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA, EXIT CAPSULE

11. VARIOUS OF SPACEX CREW HELPING POLISH ASTRONAUT, SLAWOSZ UZNANSKI-WISNIEWSKI, EXIT CAPSULE

12. VARIOUS OF SPACEX CREW HELPING HUNGARIAN MISSION SPECIALIST, TIBOR KAPU, EXIT CAPSULE