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

The International Space Station (ISS) is a cutting-edge, habitable satellite orbiting Earth, serving as a global research lab for science, technology, and space exploration.

It was Axiom's fourth mission to the space station, part of NASA's effort to open up space to more businesses and people.

India celebrates the homecoming of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla after his 18-day mission at the International Space Station. The mission is a milestone for India's space exploration, inspiring aspirations in the country's future space endeavors.

The private crew included Ax-4 mission commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. It was her fifth trip to space and extended her record-setting duration to 695 days, the most of any American.