# Four astronauts return after eight months on space station

> NASA's Crew-12 mission splashes down in the Pacific after completing dozens of experiments and spacewalks aboard the International Space Station.
- Title: Four astronauts return after eight months on space station
- Summary: NASA's Crew-12 mission splashes down in the Pacific after completing dozens of experiments and spacewalks aboard the International Space Station. Four crew…
- Keywords: nasa, spacex, international space station, crew-12, jessica meir, jack hathaway, sophie adenot, andrey fedyaev, spacewalk, splashdown, news, Four
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/10/08/nx-s1-5992845/nasa-spacex-crew-12-international-space-station-iss-splashdown
- Published: 2026-10-08T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nasa, spacex, international space station, crew-12, jessica meir, jack hathaway, sophie adenot, andrey fedyaev, spacewalk, splashdown, news
## Crew-12 returns to Earth
Three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles on Thursday after almost eight months aboard the International Space Station.
## The crew and their mission
Commander Jessica Meir, pilot Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency specialist Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev lifted off in February on a Falcon nine rocket from Cape Canaveral.
## Eight months of research and spacewalks
During their time in orbit, the crew completed dozens of science experiments including stem cell studies, crystal growth research, and bone loss studies in microgravity. Meir conducted four spacewalks totaling just over twenty-seven hours. Adenot performed three spacewalks.
## Meir looks forward to Earth
Before departing, Meir said she couldn't wait to see her three and a half year old daughter and experience nature again. She said she would miss weightlessness and the views of Earth from space.

> So looking forward to seeing nature again, feeling the breeze on my face, the wind rustling through the leaves.
## Crew-13 takes over the station
Before Crew-12 departed, three astronauts and a cosmonaut from Crew-13 arrived at the space station last week to begin a six month rotation.
## Key takeaway

Four crew members from NASA's Crew-12 mission returned to Earth after eight months aboard the International Space Station, completing science experiments and maintenance work.