However, the increasing privatization of space access raises questions about America's future role in space exploration. While another private company, SpaceX, currently provides the only means for launching astronauts from U.S. soil, Oluseyi emphasized the importance of maintaining both public and private investment in space.

Their capsule undocked from the orbiting lab Monday and is scheduled for splashdown at 5:31 a.m. Tuesday. Watch live here.

Peggy Whitson, a former NASA chief astronaut and current Axiom Space executive, successfully led a pioneering international crew mission to the ISS. The team, hailing from India, Poland, and Hungary,