The first space travelers from India, Poland, and Hungary on the International Space Station returned to Earth on Monday. They concluded their journey with SpaceX transporting them back.

Their capsule undocked from the orbiting lab and aimed for a splashdown the next morning in the Pacific off the Southern California coast.

This brief, privately funded excursion was the first instance in over 40 years that astronauts from these countries launched into space. Accompanying them was America’s Peggy Whitson, an experienced astronaut working with Axiom Space, the organization that organized the mission. Their departure was from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25.

During their stay, India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu conducted numerous experiments. They also communicated with their nations’ prime ministers and interacted with schoolchildren.

“We will spread the word in our countries that these things are within our reach. These things are possible even for smaller countries like ours,” Kapu said during Sunday’s farewell ceremony, which ended in an emotional group hug.

Shukla noted that “it’s truly a miracle” when humanity comes together for a common goal.

“The sky is no longer the limit. We can explore space,” added Uznanski-Wisniewski.

Uznanski-Wisniewski took special pride in the first pierogies in space. He took up the cabbage and mushroom-stuffed dumplings, which were freeze-dried in advance for easy cooking in zero gravity.

Their three countries shared the cost of the mission, paying more than $65 million apiece.

It was Axiom’s fourth station trip since 2022. The Houston company’s clientele includes the wealthy as well as countries seeking representation in space. NASA embraces commercial spaceflight, helping to set the stage for private space stations in the works by Axiom and others, as well as lunar landers.

The space station’s seven full-time residents remain behind in orbit, representing the U.S., Russia and Japan. Four of them will be replaced in a few weeks by a fresh crew launched for NASA by SpaceX.

“Safe journey home to the best planet in the solar system,” the space station’s Anne McClain radioed as the private crew departed.