The spacecraft descended on parachutes, splashing down in calm Pacific waters near San Diego at 3:41 a.m. Eastern time (12:41 a.m. Pacific time). The capsule was hoisted out of the sea onto the deck of a SpaceX recovery ship and its hatch opened after 4 a.m., with the first of the returning astronauts exiting the capsule just before 4:30 a.m.

NASA says it is “very unlikely” the agency will be able to recover a Mars spacecraft that has been out of contact for more than a month.