SpaceX Crew-12 Astronauts Return to Earth from ISS

Four astronauts began their journey home from the International Space Station on Oct. 7, 2026, concluding their mission aboard NASA's SpaceX Crew-12. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the station at 8:05 a.m. Eastern Time, starting a roughly 27-hour trip back to Earth. NASA and SpaceX are targeting splashdown for approximately 11:34 a.m. on Oct. 8 off the coast of California.

The returning crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. This mission represents a second spaceflight for Meir and Fedyaev, and a first for Hathaway and Adenot.

The Crew-12 mission launched Feb. 13 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA provided live coverage of the undocking, which began streaming at 7:45 a.m. Audio-only communications between the crew, the station, and flight controllers are being distributed as the Dragon spacecraft moves away.

The mission highlights international collaboration in space exploration.