SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom returns four astronauts from space station

The uncrewed return phase of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission ended on October 8, 2026, when the spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. NASA News and Aerospace Global News reported that the crew spent 237 days in space. Space and ABC News reported that the crew returned after nearly eight months in orbit. NASA News added that the capsule involved in the landing was the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom. [1][2][3][5][6][8][9][10]

The uncrewed splashdown returned four crew members to Earth following their orbital stay. According to NASA News, the international crew consisted of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. [3]

The operational flight was the twelfth crewed operational mission for NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the 20th crewed orbital flight for the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission launched on February 13, 2026, delivering the four crew members to the International Space Station. [11]

During the mission, the spacecraft completed a journey of significant scale. SciTechDaily reported that the Crew-12 mission logged 100 million miles in orbit around Earth before completing its descent into the Pacific Ocean. [8]