Crew-12 returns in Dragon after 237 days in space

SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom returned Crew-12 to Earth on October 8, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles at 15:34 UTC, or 11:34 a.m. EDT. NASA’s Commercial Crew feed and the European Space Agency both confirmed the return.

The spacecraft carried NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. NASA’s return advisory identified Meir as commander and Hathaway as pilot, with Adenot and Fedyaev serving as mission specialists.

ESA reported that Dragon undocked from the International Space Station at 12:05 UTC on October 7. The journey home took 27 hours and 29 minutes. NASA’s October 8 feed also recorded the completed deorbit burn before splashdown.

ESA put Adenot’s total spaceflight at 237 days after the February 13 launch. That includes the journeys to and from the station, rather than only time aboard the laboratory.

ESA reported that fast boats reached Dragon for safety checks. The SpaceX recovery vessel Shannon lifted the capsule aboard before personnel opened its side hatch and helped the crew out.

Adenot’s εpsilon mission included European health, biology and materials-science experiments, ESA said. She also tested an exercise device and supported in-orbit metal 3D printing. The report describes activities rather than new experimental results.

ESA’s postflight plan called for medical checks, helicopter transfer to shore and a flight to Houston, followed by Adenot’s travel to Cologne’s European Astronaut Centre. The report describes those transfers as planned.