Four Astronauts Splash Down After Axiom Private Mission

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) members (L-R, front) Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria of Spain, Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey and Mission Specialist Marcus Wandt of Sweden are joined by the Expedition 70 crew (Credit: AFP)

An all-European quartet of astronauts, including Turkey's first, splashed down off the Florida coast on Friday morning, completing Axiom Space's third private mission to the International Space Station.

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) was the company's first launch where all three paid seats were bought by national agencies rather than wealthy individuals.