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Four astronauts from SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule named Freedom safely returned to Earth after nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station. They splashed down in the Pacific Ocean about 50 miles west of Los Angeles on Thursday at 11:34 a.m. Eastern time, with the capsule deploying parachutes and slowing to just 15 mph before landing. The crew included Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev. Upon splashdown, recovery teams secured the spacecraft for transport back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On February 14, Jessica Meir and her fellow crew members from NASA's Crew-12 mission—including pilot Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev—undocked from the International Space Station after an eight-month stay. They departed on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named "Freedom," which initiated its descent back to Earth with a deorbit burn at 10:46 AM EST on February 15. The spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California around 11:34 AM EST, marking the end of their 237-day mission aboard the ISS. During this period, they conducted numerous scientific experiments and maintenance tasks to prepare for future space missions. Medical personnel were on standby at the splashdown site to assist the crew as they acclimated back to Earth's gravity after months in zero-gravity conditions.
Written for “Space Station Crew Return Home” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
Four astronauts returned to back to Earth Thursday after spending nearly eight months in space aboard the International Space Station.
asserted
astronauts → return → Station
They made a fiery descent through the atmosphere before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles.
asserted
They → make → Angeles
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which is named Freedom, landed about 50 miles west of the city at 11:34 a.m. Eastern time, according to CBS News.
uncertain
which → name → News
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asserted
Sign → sign → California
Crew 12 had departed the space station Wednesday, spending their final hours in orbit before beginning the journey home.
asserted
Crew → depart → journey
At 10:46 a.m. eastern time Thursday, the spacecraft fired its thrusters for nine minutes, reducing its speed enough to begin descending toward Earth.
asserted
spacecraft → fire → Earth
About 36 minutes later, the capsule entered the atmosphere at nearly five miles per second, generating intense heat as it slowed down, CBS News reported.
asserted
News → enter → heat
Its parachutes deployed roughly 11 minutes later.
asserted
parachutes → deploy → ?
The spacecraft’s speed went down from about 120 mph to just 15 mph before it touched down in the ocean.
asserted
it → go → ocean
SpaceX recovery crews quickly approached the capsule and secured it before bringing it aboard the company’s recovery vessel, Shannon.
asserted
crews → approach → vessel
Medical personnel were waiting to examine the astronauts, who now face the challenge of adjusting to Earth’s gravity after spending almost eight months floating in space.
asserted
who → wait → space
The four crew members were expected to be transported by helicopter to shore before traveling to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will undergo rehabilitation and physical therapy, according to CBS News.
uncertain
they → expect → News
Before returning home, Meir told CBS News she was particularly excited about reuniting with her young daughter and experiencing the outdoors again.
asserted
she → return → outdoors
She also said she couldn’t wait to feel the wind on her face and hear leaves rustling, simple experiences that aren’t possible aboard the space station.
asserted
that → say → station
Hathaway, meanwhile, had something else near the top of his wish list: a hot shower.
asserted
Hathaway → have → shower
“Going home and being able to take a nice long hot shower will be very relaxing and very nice,” he said, according to CBS News.
uncertain
he → go → News
“And of course, I’m looking forward to seeing my family.
asserted
I → look → family
The astronauts originally launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket on Feb. 13.
asserted
astronauts → launch → Feb.
The crew completed 3,792 trips around Earth during their mission, traveling nearly 101 million miles, according to CBS News.
uncertain
crew → complete → News
They also participated in four spacewalks, conducted experiments and scientific research important to NASA, among other things.
asserted
They → participate → things
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