The International Space Station (ISS) bid farewell to its first astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary as they embarked on their journey back to Earth on Monday. The SpaceX capsule undocked from the orbiting laboratory, setting its course for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California the following morning. This mission, financed privately, marked a significant milestone as it was the first time in over four decades that these three nations had representatives in orbit.

The crew, consisting of India's Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary's Tibor Kapu, was accompanied by Peggy Whitson, an American astronaut with extensive spaceflight experience who works for Axiom Space, the company that arranged the flight. The mission, which launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on June 25, was Axiom Space's fourth trip to the ISS since 2022, highlighting the growing role of commercial spaceflight.

During their two-week stay on the ISS, the astronauts conducted numerous experiments and engaged with people back home, including calls with their respective countries' prime ministers and interactions with schoolchildren. Kapu expressed his hope that the mission would inspire smaller countries, emphasizing that space exploration is within their reach. Shukla acknowledged the mission as a "miracle" of human collaboration towards a shared objective, while Uznanski-Wisniewski declared that "the sky is no longer the limit".

Uznanski-Wisniewski also took pride in bringing the first pierogies to space, enjoying the cabbage and mushroom-stuffed dumplings that were freeze-dried for convenient consumption in zero gravity.

The mission was a costly endeavor, with each of the three countries contributing over $65 million. Axiom Space, the Houston-based company behind the mission, serves a diverse clientele, including wealthy individuals and countries seeking a presence in space. NASA supports commercial spaceflight and is fostering an environment for private space stations developed by companies like Axiom, along with lunar landers.

The participation of Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot, is considered a precursor to India's planned Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send an Indian crew into orbit in 2027. Kapu's involvement is part of Hungary's "Hungarian to Orbit" (HUNOR) program, while Uznanski-Wisniewski is a European Space Agency astronaut on temporary flight duty.

The mission, dubbed "Grace," utilized a newly built SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, marking its inaugural flight as the fifth of its kind in SpaceX's fleet. The mission experienced some delays due to technical issues and unfavorable weather before its eventual launch.

Upon their arrival at the ISS in late June, the new astronauts were greeted warmly by the station's seven full-time residents, representing the United States, Russia, and Japan. The mission exemplified international collaboration in space, with six nations represented on the ISS simultaneously.