NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Splashes Down Safely in the Pacific After Seven Months in Orbit

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles after spending more than seven months aboard the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft landed at 8:34 a.m. PDT on Oct. 8, 2026. The four-person team included NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

During their 237 days in orbit, the crew traveled more than 100 million miles and completed 3,792 orbits. Meir completed four spacewalks, raising her career total to seven, while Adenot completed three spacewalks to become the first French woman to venture outside the orbital outpost. The astronauts logged hundreds of hours of research to support future deep-space exploration.

Their scientific work included testing stem cell production, demonstrating on-demand intravenous fluid generation, and studying nutrition alongside how bacteria can cause heart damage. The crew will discuss their mission during a news conference at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 15 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Adenot will return to Europe and will not participate in the briefing.