The spacecraft lifted off with two crew members and two empty seats, so that the NASA astronauts who rode Boeing's Starliner to orbit will be able to join for the ride home.
The crew was scheduled to return to Earth more than two weeks ago, but inclement weather — including Hurricane Milton — kept the four members in space longer than planned.
October ended as one of the driest months on record in the U.S. Cities such as Philadelphia; Newark, New Jersey, and Norfolk, Virginia, recorded no rain at all.
A patch of snow in the Scottish Highlands typically lingers year-round. This year is only the 10th in more than three centuries that it has melted away.