SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft carrying four crew members separated from the International Space Station, beginning their return journey to Earth after completing a 237-day mission in orbit. The spacecraft is scheduled to land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, with NASA's Crew-12 mission astronauts onboard, detached from the International Space Station at 08:05 a.m. local U.S. time on Wednesday, 7 Oct, or about 19:05 Thai time, beginning their approximately 27-hour journey back to Earth, NASA reported.
The four crew members include NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adeno, and Russian Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedeyev. Meir served as mission commander, while Hathaway was the Dragon spacecraft pilot, according to NASA.
NASA stated that the Crew-12 members spent 237 days on the ISS conducting numerous scientific experiments. Their research covered topics from studying cellular changes in microgravity to materials science, human health, and investigations related to future space exploration.
Before their return, the crew transferred cargo and scientific samples into the Dragon spacecraft and prepared their bodies for re-entry into Earth's gravity. Part of this preparation involved drinking fluids with salt to help their bodies adjust after extended time in weightlessness, NASA said.
The Crew-12 mission launched from Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida on 13 Feb 2026, docking with the ISS the following day to begin months of research and operational duties aboard the station, NASA noted.
For the return trip, NASA and SpaceX plan for the Dragon to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off California around 11:34 a.m. Eastern U.S. time on 8 Oct, or approximately 22:34 Thai time. NASA will broadcast live coverage of re-entry and landing starting at 10:20 a.m. U.S. time.
After Crew-12's departure, the ISS mission will continue with Crew-13, who arrived at the station on 1 Oct and took over research and station operations from the previous crew.
:AP
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