On Friday, astronauts representing Turkey, Italy, and Sweden successfully concluded their three-week private mission to the International Space Station, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule that landed in the Atlantic off the Florida coast.

The returning crew included Alper Gezeravci from Turkey, Walter Villadei from Italy, and Marcus Wandt from Sweden, accompanied by their escort, retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, now associated with Axiom Space—a Houston-based company that organized the chartered flight.

Turkey marked a significant milestone with the launch of Alper Gezeravci from Cape Canaveral last month, as he became the first person from his country to venture into space.

The mission, financially supported by Turkey, Italy, and Sweden, had a total cost of approximately $55 million per participating country, NBC News reported.

Marcus Wandt, selected as a reserve astronaut by the European Space Agency in 2022, and the crew’s escort, Michael Lopez-Alegria, also contributed to this historic private space endeavor.

This mission was the third organized by Axiom Space, with plans for a fourth private mission scheduled later in the year.

Written by B.C. Begley