Over a week after they docked with the International Space Station, four private astronauts are set to return home after finishing their research and life-changing science and technology demonstrations in zero gravity. Led by retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, the crew arrived at the flying outpost on April 9.

Dubbed Axiom Mission-1 (Ax-1), the crew will board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to begin the journey home with a splashdown off the coast of Florida on April 20. The departure was delayed earlier after unfavourable weather at the splashdown location for the recovery of the Dragon Endeavour. "During the Ax-1 mission, the crew pioneered a new path in space to allow more opportunities for individuals, nations, and researchers around the world to work in microgravity," Axiom Space said in a statement.