Plate Nº 14 · recorded October 9, 2026
Space & AstronomyReported finding
Crew-12 Astronauts Return After 237 Days and 100 Million Miles in Orbit
Crew-12 splashed down Oct. 8 after 237 days, 100 million miles and 3,792 orbits, with spacewalk records and space-medicine research aboard the ISS.
By Marcus Bennett3 min read619 words
In brief
- Crew-12 splashed down in the Pacific near Los Angeles on Oct. 8, 2026, at 8:34 a.m. PDT.
- The crew spent 237 days in orbit, traveled over 100 million miles, and completed more than 3,792 Earth orbits.
- Jessica Meir logged four spacewalks on this mission, raising her career total to seven — third among NASA women.
- Sophie Adenot completed three spacewalks, becoming the first French woman to spacewalk outside the ISS.
- The crew launched on Feb. 13 and tested on-demand IV fluid production and space-grown stem cells for medicine.
Four astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles on Thursday, October 8, 2026, closing out a 237-day mission that covered more than 100 million miles and over 3,792 orbits of Earth.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 crew — NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev — spent nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station. Their capsule hit the water at 8:34 a.m. PDT. SpaceX recovery teams on specialized vessels reached the spacecraft shortly afterward and brought the crew aboard.
After routine medical evaluations, the astronauts were set to travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA will hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 15, where crew members will discuss their research.
"Jessica, Jack, Sophie, and Andrey spent 237 days living and working in orbit, traveled more than 100 million miles, advanced important science, and returned safely home because of the extraordinary expertise and competence of thousands across NASA, SpaceX, and our international partners," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "Building the capability, experience, and confidence to do this repeatedly is exactly what will allow us to go farther."
Who flew on Crew-12?
The mission mixed veterans with first-time flyers. Meir and Fedyaev each completed their second spaceflight. Hathaway and Adenot flew to space for the first time.
The crew launched on Feb. 13 at 5:15 a.m. EST and docked with the space station the following day. They stayed 237 days — more than seven months — before returning home.
What did the crew study in space?
Crew-12 devoted hundreds of hours to experiments aimed at both future deep-space missions and medicine on Earth:
- Stem cells in orbit. One project explored producing stem cells in space, a step toward cell-based medical treatments that could benefit patients on the ground as well as crews far from home.
- IV fluids on demand. The crew demonstrated technology that can produce intravenous fluids as needed — a capability especially valuable on long missions when resupply from Earth is impossible.
- Bacteria and the heart. The astronauts studied how pneumonia-causing bacteria may contribute to lasting heart damage, research that could yield new insight into cardiovascular health.
- Nutrition and blood flow. Other experiments examined nutrition in space and how individual physical traits influence blood flow during flight, helping researchers gauge the health risks of extended stays in microgravity — the weightless condition of orbital flight.
"NASA's activities supporting the International Space Station — transporting crew, conducting impactful research, and maintaining critical national assets — enable the science, engineering, and risk-reduction needed for future missions across the solar system," said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program at Johnson Space Center. "We're thrilled to welcome Jessica, Jack, Sophie, and Andrey home."
Which records did the spacewalks set?
The mission delivered milestones outside the station as well as inside. Meir performed four spacewalks during Crew-12, bringing her career total to seven. That places her third among NASA women for career spacewalks, behind former astronauts Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams.
Adenot completed three spacewalks and became the first French woman ever to venture outside the International Space Station.
Why does this mission matter?
Crew-12 combined scientific research, international cooperation, and hands-on spaceflight experience — the ingredients NASA says it needs before sending humans farther from Earth. The stem cell, IV fluid, and cardiovascular studies all address one core question: how to keep people healthy for months or years away from medical facilities on the ground.
With the crew safely home, NASA has completed another extended mission in preparation for more ambitious journeys to the Moon and Mars.
via ScienceDaily: Space & Time (Source)
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