{"id":2000128570,"date":"2026-10-09T12:41:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T10:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000128570"},"modified":"2026-10-09T12:41:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T10:41:24","slug":"nasa-astronauts-return-to-earth-after-100-million-miles-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/nasa-astronauts-return-to-earth-after-100-million-miles-in-space\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA astronauts return to Earth after 100 million miles in space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The four astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles on October 8, 2026, bringing their extended space mission to an end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During their time in orbit, they travelled more than 100 million miles and completed over 3,792 orbits around Earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The returning crew comprised NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their spacecraft, Crew Dragon Freedom, touched down at 8:34 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SpaceX recovery teams subsequently reached the capsule and brought the astronauts and spacecraft aboard a recovery vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The astronauts underwent routine medical evaluations before preparations for their return to shore and onward travel to NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meir and Fedyaev completed their second space missions, while Hathaway and Adenot experienced spaceflight for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond travelling millions of miles, the crew conducted scientific investigations aimed at improving human health and supporting longer journeys into space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One experiment explored methods of producing stem cells in space, which could potentially contribute to future cell-based medical treatments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another demonstrated technology for producing intravenous fluids on demand, an approach that could prove valuable during extended missions far from Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers also investigated how bacteria responsible for pneumonia might contribute to lasting heart damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings could help improve understanding of cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other studies examined nutrition in space and how individual physical characteristics influence blood flow during spaceflight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such research is important for understanding the health challenges astronauts face during prolonged exposure to microgravity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experiments could help scientists develop better ways to protect astronauts as space agencies prepare for more ambitious missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crew-12 also recorded important milestones in space exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meir completed four spacewalks during the mission, bringing her career total to seven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This placed her third among NASA women for the highest number of career spacewalks, behind former astronauts Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adenot completed three spacewalks, becoming the first French woman to venture outside the International Space Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the crew and the thousands of professionals whose work supported the mission, highlighting the importance of building experience and confidence for repeated human spaceflight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the astronauts safely home, the mission adds valuable scientific knowledge and operational experience to preparations for future journeys beyond Earth’s orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts returned to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending 237 days aboard the International Space Station, completing a mission that advanced scientific research and preparations for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000128571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000128570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":2000122457,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-12.00.00-PM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 12.00.00 PM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":2000122457,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-12.00.00-PM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 12.00.00 PM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000128571,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/nasa-spacex-crew-12-splash-down.webp","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/webp","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/nasa-spacex-crew-12-splash-down.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/nasa-spacex-crew-12-splash-down.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/nasa-spacex-crew-12-splash-down.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/nasa-spacex-crew-12-splash-down.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/nasa-spacex-crew-12-splash-down.webp","width":1920,"height":1080}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000128570"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000128587,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128570\/revisions\/2000128587"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000128571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000128570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000128570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000128570"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000128570"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000128570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}