A SpaceX capsule has splashed down back to Earth carrying four astronauts from the International Space Station, after a medical issue prompted them to evacuate and cut their mission a month short.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft, dubbed Endeavour, parachuted into calm seas off San Diego.
This marks the first time NASA has cut short the mission of an ISS crew because of a health emergency.
The capsule undocked from the space station and began its descent from orbit about 9:20am AEDT (2220 GMT), with the journey taking less than 11 hours.
The crew consists of US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They arrived at the space station following a launch to orbit from Florida in August.
In a radio transmission to the SpaceX flight-control centre near Los Angeles, Endeavour’s commander, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, was heard saying, “It’s good to be home.”
Four SpaceX Crew-11 members are heading back to earth from the International Space Station. (Supplied: NASA)
NASA officials have not identified which of the four crew members was experiencing a medical issue or described its nature, citing privacy concerns.
While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing.
NASA stressed repeatedly over the last week that this was not an emergency.
Wires