LOS ANGELES: Four astronauts returned safely to Earth on Thursday after successfully completing SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission. The Dragon Freedom spacecraft splashed down off California’s coast after 237 days in orbit.
Parachutes slowed the spacecraft before it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 8:34 pm PKT. Recovery teams then retrieved the capsule and its crew.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Jessica Meir commanded the mission, while fellow NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway served as pilot.
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev completed the team.
During their stay aboard the International Space Station, the astronauts conducted research on stem cells, crystal growth and bone loss in microgravity.
They also carried out maintenance outside the station. Meir completed four spacewalks, while Adenot performed three. Crew-12 launched on February 13 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
Read: ISS Air Leak Sends 5 Astronauts To Dragon Capsule
After the replacement Crew-13 mission arrived, the outgoing astronauts departed the station on Wednesday. Separately, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlined the agency’s broader ambitions for lunar exploration in an interview with Fox Business.
“We have to return to the moon,” he said. Before attempting crewed flights to Mars, Isaacman said teams aim to test lunar mobility suits, habitats, power systems and communications.
Mission Overview:
- Splashdown Time: 15:34 GMT (11:34 a.m. Eastern Time) on October 8, 2026.
- Duration: 237 days in orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
- Spacecraft: SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom.
- Undocking: Left the ISS on Wednesday, October 7, at 12:05 GMT.
- Launch Date: Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Falcon 9 rocket.
