Four astronauts from four countries return to Earth after six months in orbit

Their capsule streaked across the US in the predawn darkness and splashed into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle.

Nasa’s Jasmin Moghbeli, a Marine helicopter pilot, led the returning crew of Denmark’s Andreas Mogensen, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa and Russia’s Konstantin Borisov.

They moved into the space station last August.

Their replacements arrived last week in their own SpaceX capsule.

“We left you some peanut butter and tortillas,” Ms Moghbeli radioed after departing the orbiting complex on Monday.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is seen as it lands (Nasa/AP)

Nasa’s Loral O’Hara replied: “I miss you guys already and thanks for that very generous gift.”

O’Hara has another few weeks at the space station before leaving aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule.

Before leaving the space station, Mr Mogensen said via X, formerly Twitter, that he couldn’t wait to hear “birds singing in the trees” and also craved crunchy food.

Support teams work around the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft shortly after it landed (Nasa/AP)

Nasa prefers multiple travel options in case of rocket trouble.

Boeing should start providing astronaut taxi service with a two-pilot test flight in early May.