"Axiom Space Ax-3 Mission: Astronauts Return to Earth After Longest Private Spaceflight"

Four European astronauts have returned to Earth after completing the Ax-3 commercial mission to the International Space Station, chartered by Axiom Space. The crew's SpaceX capsule, Freedom, splashed down off Daytona Beach, Florida, after spending 18 days at the ISS conducting over 30 science experiments and gathering data for ongoing scientific research on the physiological effects of spaceflight on the human body. Axiom Space, in collaboration with SpaceX, is paving the way for future commercial operations in low-Earth orbit as NASA plans to retire the ISS in the 2030s.