SpaceX Crew-12 Returns to Earth After 237 Days on ISS

Four astronauts representing NASA, the European Space Agency, and Roscosmos safely returned to Earth on Thursday, October 8, when their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 8:34 a.m. PDT. The crew—NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev—had spent 237 days in orbit since launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on February 13, 2026. During their undocking on October 7 at 8:05 a.m. EDT, the spacecraft began its approximately 27-hour journey home.

During their extended mission, the crew conducted extensive scientific research to support human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and advance benefits for people on Earth. Their work included testing stem cell production for cell-based therapies, demonstrating on-demand IV fluid generation for future deep-space missions, and studying how the bacterium that causes pneumonia can lead to long-term heart damage. The crew also completed nutrition-focused research and examined how physical characteristics affect blood flow during spaceflight. Meir completed four spacewalks, bringing her career total to seven—placing her third all-time among women at NASA in total spacewalks. Adenot completed three spacewalks, becoming the first French woman to venture outside the orbital outpost.

The Crew-12 mission was notable for replacing an earlier crew sent home early due to a medical situation involving a crew member. This marked NASA's first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight. The new crew launched in February to fill that gap, with their departure delayed by three weeks due to capsule repairs on their replacement crew's vehicle. During their mission, the astronauts traveled more than 100 million miles and completed more than 3,792 orbits around Earth.

All four crew members were recovered from the spacecraft within an hour of splashdown aboard SpaceX recovery vessels and underwent standard postflight medical screenings. After a helicopter ride to shore, they returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. A crew news conference was scheduled for October 15 at Johnson Space Center, with Meir, Hathaway, and Fedyaev participating; Adenot returned to Europe and was unavailable for the briefing.