WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) – A team of four private astronauts safely returned to Earth on Friday inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, concluding an approximately four-day journey in space that followed a groundbreaking polar route—an unprecedented mission for a fully private team organized by Elon Musk’s aerospace company.

The crew launched Monday night from Florida and spent their time orbiting Earth from pole to pole, a unique flight path that brought them over polar ice approximately every 40 minutes. This polar trajectory marked the first time humans have circled the Earth in such a pattern.

While aboard the spacecraft, the astronauts performed a total of 22 scientific studies, primarily investigating the impact of microgravity on the human body.

Financier Chun Wang of Malta led and financed the mission. Alongside him were three individuals from his personal and professional circles: Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, polar researcher and robotics specialist Rabea Rogge from Germany, and Eric Philips, an Australian explorer.

After tightening their spacecraft's orbit earlier on Friday, the crew’s capsule splashed down just off the California coastline around noon EDT (1600 GMT). SpaceX retrieval teams lifted the distinctive capsule, shaped like a gumdrop, from the ocean onto a recovery ship, where it was brought under a covered platform for processing.

In a test mimicking future planetary landings, the crew disembarked from Dragon without significant help—eschewing the stretchers and medical teams commonly used after spaceflight. The goal was to demonstrate astronauts' ability to exit a vehicle with minimal support, an essential requirement for missions to the Moon or Mars.

Extended periods in space are known to result in muscle weakening and loss of bone density, effects NASA has studied extensively aboard the International Space Station over the years. Though this trip was short, it provided valuable insights into those challenges.

Upon landing, crew members took turns emerging from the capsule. Despite the restriction of their suits, they managed to stand upright on their own, smiling and appearing stable.

"All four framonauts have safely exited Dragon unassisted," SpaceX confirmed in a statement, using a term coined for the private travelers.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft continues to dominate the emerging commercial space tourism sector, which initially catered mainly to affluent adventurers. As of now, it remains the only operational, privately developed spacecraft conducting regular orbital missions, while Boeing’s Starliner capsule remains delayed in development.

With ticket prices hovering around $55 million per seat, recent missions have increasingly involved government-sponsored astronauts. These state-funded travelers represent nations aiming to gain prestige and build their own spaceflight capabilities by partnering with firms like Axiom Space, which organize Crew Dragon missions.