After a delay due to Boeing capsule problems and Milton storm, 4 astronauts land on Earth

Arab Weather - Four astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after a nearly eight-month stay on the International Space Station. Their return was delayed due to technical problems with Boeing's Starliner capsule, which faced safety concerns that led to its empty return in September, in addition to Hurricane Milton, which delayed their return for an additional two weeks due to strong winds and rough seas.

Four astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after a nearly eight-month space station stay extended by Boeing's capsule trouble and Hurricane Milton.

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SpaceX capsule lands safely off Florida coast

SpaceX's crew capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Florida, before dawn after undocking from the International Space Station midweek. The return of three American astronauts and their Russian colleague had been scheduled for two months, but the return was delayed by problems with the Boeing capsule and Hurricane Milton.

Astronauts face challenges with support from ground teams

The mission, which launched in March, included NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Janet Epps, along with Russian Alexander Grebenkin. Barratt, the only veteran of the mission, said the support teams on Earth were responsible for “re-planning, re-equipping, making sure everything was going well, and helping us get through all the difficulties.”

With the return of those astronauts, Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams joined two astronauts launched by SpaceX four weeks ago, returning the station to its normal crew of seven: four Americans and three Russians, after months of operating with additional crew.

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