NASA's Crew-12 astronauts return after 8 months in space
What's the story
NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission has successfully returned to Earth after a 237-day stay in space. The four-member team splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles on October 8, 2026. They traveled over 100 million miles and completed over 3,792 orbits around the planet. The crew included NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Recovery operation
Recovery operations and upcoming news conference
The recovery teams on SpaceX ships retrieved the Crew-12 spacecraft and its astronauts shortly after splashdown.
After standard post-flight medical examinations, the astronauts were expected to head back to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
A news conference has been scheduled for October 15, 2026, at 3:30pm EDT by NASA.
The astronauts will talk about their mission and scientific research conducted aboard the ISS during this briefing.
Research impact
A historic mission for the Crew-12 team
The Crew-12 mission, which launched on February 13, 2026, was a major milestone in human spaceflight.
It was Meir and Fedyaev's second spaceflight while Hathaway and Adenot were on their first-ever journeys to space.
During their stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the astronauts contributed to scientific research, technology demonstrations, and activities aimed at enhancing the safety of future missions.
Twitter Post
Official confirmation from NASA
Welcome home!
— NASA (@NASA) October 8, 2026
Crew-12 splashed down in the Pacific on Thursday, Oct. 8. Their 237-day mission aboard the @Space_Station included research into medicine, quantum science, and 3D-printing with metal in low Earth orbit. https://t.co/bHE4QrN1r5 pic.twitter.com/QzBt6v9Ak3
Health studies
Research conducted by astronauts during their ISS stay
The Crew-12 astronauts dedicated hundreds of hours to research aboard the ISS, focusing on human health and medical technology.
Their work included stem cell production for cell-based therapies, on-demand IV fluid generation technology for future missions, studying pneumonia-causing bacteria's role in long-term heart damage, nutrition research impacting astronaut health during spaceflight, and blood flow in microgravity.
These studies provide valuable insights into how the human body responds to spaceflight and help test technologies for future Moon and Mars missions.
Spacewalk achievements
Spacewalks by Meir and Adenot
The Crew-12 mission also made significant contributions to spacewalk operations.
Meir completed four spacewalks during the mission, bringing her career total to seven. This makes her the third NASA woman astronaut with the most number of spacewalks, behind former astronauts Peggy Whitson and Sunita Williams.
Adenot also completed three spacewalks, becoming the first French woman to do so outside the ISS.