After eight months in orbit, four Crew-12 astronauts return to Earth

The Dragon capsule completed its return to Earth on Thursday, landing in the waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. On board were the four astronauts from the Crew-12 mission, who had spent eight months on the International Space Station.

The return was broadcast live by NASA and proceeded as planned. “We are very happy to be back on planet Earth after an extraordinary mission,” said American commander Jessica Meir.

The crew also included American Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev. After landing, the capsule was loaded onto a specially equipped ship.

Rescue personnel helped the astronauts exit the capsule one by one and undergo initial medical checks. They will then be transported by helicopter to shore before flying to Houston, home to NASA’s astronaut operations center.

During her time on the station, Sophie Adenot became the first French woman astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. She completed three spacewalks in total, two in August and one in September.

Meanwhile, a new four-person crew has arrived at the International Space Station and is expected to stay for about six months. The orbital outpost has been continuously inhabited for a quarter of a century.

The plan is to deorbit the station and bring it down in a controlled ocean landing around 2030. Although relations have been strained since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, space cooperation between the United States, Russia and other partners continues.