NASA Crew-12 Returns

NASA’s Crew-12 astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA’s Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev returned safely to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon. The capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles. Crew-12 flew to the International Space Station in February to replace four astronauts sent home early after NASA astronaut Mike Fincke fell ill. That return was NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight. Their homecoming was delayed when replacements arrived about three weeks late after capsule repairs. The crew spent 237 days in space, doing research on stem cells, crystal growth and bone loss. After splashdown, they faced medical checks, debriefing and recovery in Houston, while seven astronauts stayed aboard the station.