Overview
- SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom splashed down in the Pacific off southern California Thursday, and recovery teams began bringing the four Crew‑12 members to shore.
- The crew undocked from the Harmony module the previous day and completed about a 27–28 hour free flight before reentry and splashdown.
- Crew‑12 comprised NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who were sent up earlier this year on an expedited rotation to replace an ailing crew member.
- During nearly eight months aboard the ISS they ran experiments on bacterial infection, blood flow in microgravity and making IV fluids, and performed multiple spacewalks to maintain and upgrade the station.
- NASA and SpaceX will hold a post‑splashdown briefing to review recovery and returned science, while Crew‑13 remains aboard the station to assume command and continue operations.