Astronauts From Turkey, Italy, And Sweden Return To Earth, Ending Private Space Station Trip
February 9, 2024 8:59AM AKST
This photo provided by NASA, astronauts NASA's Nicole Mann and Japan's Koichi Wakata venture out on a spacewalk at the International Space Station on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. Their job was to install support struts for small solar panels launching this summer, part of a continuing effort by NASA to expand the space station's power grid. (NASA via AP)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronauts from Turkey, Italy and Sweden are back on Earth, ending a private three-week trip to the International Space Station.
Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Atlantic on Friday off the Florida coast.
The trio were accompanied by a retired NASA astronaut who now works for the Houston company that arranged the chartered flight.
Turkey, Italy and Sweden financed the mission, paying roughly $55 million apiece.
Turkey’s Alper Gezeravci is the first person from his country to rocket to space.
