In a groundbreaking research mission, Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman astronaut, along with a team of two Americans and two Saudis, safely returned to Earth on Tuesday night after spending eight days aboard the International Space Station.

Making history, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni became the first Saudi astronauts to embark on a mission to the orbiting space station.

After a 12-hour return flight and a fiery re-entry descent through Earth’s atmosphere, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the astronauts splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, with the assistance of parachutes.

The live broadcast of the splashdown was presented by SpaceX and Axiom Space, the company behind the mission.

Expressing her emotions on Twitter, Barnawi bid farewell to the space station, stating, “Every story comes to an end,” and added, “This marks the beginning of a new era for our country and region. Thank you to everyone who has supported us.”