A SpaceX capsule with four astronauts returning from the International Space Station splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico early today.<br />”&nbsp;<br />”In a statement , American Space agency NASA has said that Their return marked the end of 168 days in space for the four astronauts, and the end of SpaceX’s first operational round-trip mission. Today’s return to earth was the first nighttime splashdown for NASA astronauts since Apollo 8, which was the first mission to orbit the moon, in 1968.<br />”&nbsp;<br />”<span style="color: #222222;">The mission was part of NASA’s fledgling public-private partnership with SpaceX, the rocket company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, who is also CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc.</span><br />