Four astronauts returned to back to Earth Thursday after spending nearly eight months in space aboard the International Space Station.

They made a fiery descent through the atmosphere before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which is named Freedom, landed about 50 miles west of the city at 11:34 a.m. Eastern time, according to CBS News.

On board were commandeer Jessica Meir, pilot Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, among others.

Crew 12 had departed the space station Wednesday, spending their final hours in orbit before beginning the journey home.

At 10:46 a.m. eastern time Thursday, the spacecraft fired its thrusters for nine minutes, reducing its speed enough to begin descending toward Earth.

About 36 minutes later, the capsule entered the atmosphere at nearly five miles per second, generating intense heat as it slowed down, CBS News reported.

Its parachutes deployed roughly 11 minutes later. The spacecraft’s speed went down from about 120 mph to just 15 mph before it touched down in the ocean.

SpaceX recovery crews quickly approached the capsule and secured it before bringing it aboard the company’s recovery vessel, Shannon.

Medical personnel were waiting to examine the astronauts, who now face the challenge of adjusting to Earth’s gravity after spending almost eight months floating in space.

The four crew members were expected to be transported by helicopter to shore before traveling to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will undergo rehabilitation and physical therapy, according to CBS News.

Before returning home, Meir told CBS News she was particularly excited about reuniting with her young daughter and experiencing the outdoors again.

She also said she couldn’t wait to feel the wind on her face and hear leaves rustling, simple experiences that aren’t possible aboard the space station.

Hathaway, meanwhile, had something else near the top of his wish list: a hot shower.

“Going home and being able to take a nice long hot shower will be very relaxing and very nice,” he said, according to CBS News. “And of course, I’m looking forward to seeing my family. But a hot shower is near the top of my list.”

The astronauts originally launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket on Feb. 13.

The crew completed 3,792 trips around Earth during their mission, traveling nearly 101 million miles, according to CBS News.

They also participated in four spacewalks, conducted experiments and scientific research important to NASA, among other things.

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