FOUR SPACE STATION astronauts returned to Earth after a quick SpaceX flight home.

Their capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida coast near Tampa, shortly after 9:00pm last night (02:00 Irish time this morning).

Splashdown!#Crew5 is back on Earth, completing a science mission of nearly six months on the @Space_Station. Their @SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft touched down at 9:02pm ET (0202 UTC March 12) near Tampa off the coast of Florida. pic.twitter.com/nLMC0hbKY4

— NASA (@NASA) March 12, 2023

The US-Russian-Japanese crew spent five months at the International Space Station, arriving last October.

Besides dodging space junk, the astronauts had to deal with a pair of leaking Russian capsules docked to the orbiting outpost and the urgent delivery of a replacement craft for the station’s other crew members.

Led by Nasa’s Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman to fly in space, the astronauts checked out of the station early Saturday morning.

Less than 19 hours later, their Dragon capsule was bobbing in the sea as they awaited pickup.

Earlier in the week, high wind and waves in the splashdown zones kept them at the station a few extra days.

Their replacements arrived more than a week ago.

“That was one heck of a ride,” Mann radioed moments after splashdown.

“We’re happy to be home.”

Welcome home, #Crew5!

The four members of NASA's @SpaceX Crew-5 mission are back on Earth, wrapping up a 157-day, 2,500-orbit, @ISS_Research-packed trip to the @Space_Station: https://t.co/ZQnSibuRTF pic.twitter.com/LYAndyXpxw

— NASA (@NASA) March 12, 2023

Mann, a member of Northern California’s Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, said she could not wait to feel the wind on her face, smell fresh grass and enjoy some delicious Earth food.

Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata craved sushi, while Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina yearned to drink hot tea “from real cup, not from plastic bag”.

Nasa astronaut Josh Cassada’s to-do list included getting a rescue dog for his family.

“Please don’t tell our two cats,” he joked before departing the space station.

Remaining behind at the space station are three Americans, three Russians and one from the United Arab Emirates.

Wakata, Japan’s spaceflight champion, now has logged more than 500 days in space over five missions dating back to Nasa’s shuttle era.