Crew-12 astronauts return to Earth after eight-month ISS mission

The four crew members of the Crew-12 mission successfully returned to Earth via a SpaceX Dragon capsule, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The mission concluded nearly eight months after the crew arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in February.

The crew included NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The mission was originally launched to replace the Crew-11 team following a medical evacuation of commander Mike Fincke.

During their stay, the crew performed several spacewalks and maintenance tasks. Sophie Adenot set a record for the longest continuous orbital stay by a European astronaut, spending approximately 235 to 237 days in space. Following the landing, the astronauts will undergo medical examinations before being transported to NASA headquarters in Houston, Texas.