Watch: Four astronauts splashdown after fiery return journey from space

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts splashed down off California after a 27-hour return from the ISS. Their safe landing ends a 237-day mission and hands station duties to Crew-13.The crew had spent more than seven months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). (Photo: Nasa)New Delhi,Oct 8, 2026 21:05 ISTFour astronauts have safely returned to Earth after a fiery atmospheric re-entry, bringing NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to an end after 237 days in space.Nasa astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.The crew had spent more than seven months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).The astronauts began their journey home after Dragon autonomously undocked from the ISS on October 7. The spacecraft then spent roughly 27 hours in orbit before beginning its final descent toward Earth. Their return involved one of the most dramatic phases of any spaceflight: atmospheric re-entry.Travelling at enormous speed, the Dragon capsule plunged into Earth's atmosphere, generating intense heat around the spacecraft before slowing down for its parachute-assisted landing in the Pacific. Dragon separation confirmed! https://t.co/0SXhIG8O83— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 7, 2026Crew-12 launched on February 13, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.The Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS the following day. It was the 12th crew rotation mission conducted by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.During their extended stay, the astronauts conducted a wide range of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and maintenance activities aboard the orbital laboratory.Their research included studies aimed at understanding human health in microgravity, improving food production in space, developing technologies for future deep-space missions and investigating biological processes that could benefit people on Earth. The Crew-12 astronauts before undocking from Space Station. (Photo: Nasa) The crew's return also marks another step in NASA's continuing transition between ISS crews. Crew-13, which arrived at the station on October 1, has now taken over ongoing research and station operations.For Crew-12, however, the mission is now complete: after nearly eight months orbiting Earth, four astronauts have crossed the boundary between space and home once again.- Ends