SpaceX returns 4 astronauts to Earth, ending 200-day flight

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts are back on Earth after a 200-day space station mission. They rode home Monday in a SpaceX capsule, parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, Florida, in darkness. The astronauts from the U.S., France and Japan departed the International Space Station eight hours earlier. The toilet in their capsule was broken, so they had to rely on diapers. Before leaving the neighborhood, the four took a spin around the space station, taking pictures. SpaceX is now turning its attention to the launch of their four replacements, as early as Wednesday night.