SpaceX Crew-12 Returns to Earth After 237 Days on the ISS and a European Spaceflight Record

On October 8, 2026, the Crew-12 expedition’s long orbital stint came to a successful end in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft brought four crew members back to Earth after nearly eight months of continuous stay aboard the International Space Station. The mission is remembered not only for its packed research program but also for a historic flight-duration record for astronauts from Europe.

According to NASA’s official announcement, the capsule splashed down gently near Los Angeles at 15:34 UTC. The recovery ship Shannon lifted the spacecraft onto its deck, after which astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA representative Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev exited the hatch and underwent initial medical checks. Over the course of the flight, the crew completed 3,792 orbits of the planet, covering more than 160 million kilometers.

Sophie Adenot’s historic flight and preparations for Mars

The expedition’s biggest winner was first-time flyer Sophie Adenot. According to the European Space Agency, the Frenchwoman spent 237 days, 5 hours and 18 minutes in orbit, beating the previous European record by 35 days. Adenot also became the first woman in France’s history to work outside the station: over two weeks she completed three spacewalks totaling almost 20 hours.

Crew-12’s science program focused on autonomy technologies for future Artemis expeditions and crewed missions to Mars. The team tested a setup for 3D-printing metal parts in zero gravity, studied the behavior of stem cells and practiced producing sterile medical solutions for IV drips directly from onboard water supplies, so that crews on long-duration flights would not depend on medical supplies from Earth.

A string of delays: from an emergency evacuation to engine repairs

The expedition took place amid an unstable rotation schedule. Back in the winter, the previous Crew-11 crew was forced to leave the station early due to a sudden deterioration in astronaut Mike Fincke’s health, NASA clarified in a report.

The return of Crew-12 itself was pushed back by almost a month because of technical problems with the replacement crew’s spacecraft. During pre-flight checks of the Crew-13 capsule, engineers detected an oxidizer leak in the Dragon’s maneuvering thrusters. Specialists had to urgently replace the faulty valve, which pushed the launch of the next crew to October 1.

Seven researchers are currently on duty aboard the ISS. The returning Crew-12 is going through a gravity readaptation program, and on October 15 NASA leadership will hold a special press conference to discuss the results of the record-setting expedition.