NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑12 returns after 237‑day ISS mission

The four‑person crew landed Thursday in the Pacific, with a news conference set for Oct. 15 at Johnson Space Center.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:40:42 GMT

NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑12 mission concluded on Thursday, Oct. 8, when the Freedom capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles, according to both the Los Angeles Times and SciTech Daily.

What happened

The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, spent 237 days aboard the International Space Station. During that time they completed 3,792 orbits and traveled more than 100 million miles, NASA officials said. The recovery vessel retrieved the capsule safely on the coast of Los Angeles.

What the reports add

Los Angeles Times noted the mission launched on Feb. 13 at 5:15 a.m. EST and docked with the ISS a day later.
SciTech Daily reported the splashdown occurred at 8:34 a.m. PDT in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles.
Both outlets cited a NASA statement that the crew will undergo medical screenings before returning to Johnson Space Center.
SciTech Daily added that a news conference is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 15 at Johnson Space Center.

What was said

“Jessica, Jack, Sophie, and Andrey spent 237 days living and working in orbit, traveled more than 100 million miles, advanced important science, and returned safely home because of the extraordinary expertise and competence of thousands across NASA, SpaceX, and our international partners,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, SciTech Daily.

“NASA’s activities supporting the International Space Station — transporting crew, conducting impactful research, and maintaining critical national assets — enable the science, engineering, and risk‑reduction needed for future missions across the solar system,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program at Johnson Space Center, both outlets reported.

How it came about

The Crew‑12 flight was the second mission for Meir and Fedyaev and the first for Hathaway and Adenot, according to the agency’s statement. Meir completed four spacewalks, bringing her career total to seven, the third‑most by a woman at NASA; Adenot completed three spacewalks and became the first French woman to walk in space. Their research included testing stem‑cell production, creating and testing IV fluid, studying pneumonia‑causing bacteria and its long‑term heart effects, nutrition‑focused studies, and investigations of how physical characteristics affect blood flow in microgravity. Earlier Felo coverage detailed the crew’s experiments on crystal growth, quantum atoms, bone scaffolds and antibiotic resistance (NASA’s Crew‑12 wraps up ISS research). The mission follows NASA’s recent shift to retire the original Crew Dragon and plan for Boeing’s Starliner, as described in Felo’s Sep. 18 article.

Key facts

Crew‑12 splashed down off Los Angeles on Oct. 8, 2026 (latimes.com)
Mission lasted 237 days, covering 100 million miles and 3,792 orbits (latimes.com)
Crew members: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, Andrey Fedyaev (latimes.com)
NASA news conference set for Oct. 15 at Johnson Space Center (scitechdaily.com)