CREW-12 ASTRONAUTS RETURN TO EARTH AFTER 237 DAYS IN SPACE

Four astronauts from NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission have returned to Earth after more than seven months aboard the International Space Station, according to NASA. Their spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles on Thursday at 8:34 a.m. PDT, NASA said. The crew comprised NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. NASA said the mission lasted 237 days and covered more than 100 million miles. SpaceX recovery teams retrieved the spacecraft and its crew shortly after splashdown, NASA said, and the astronauts underwent standard postflight medical screenings before travelling to shore en route to NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston.

NASA said the mission completed more than 3,792 orbits of Earth, and that it marked a second spaceflight for Meir and Fedyaev and a first for Hathaway and Adenot, having launched on 5:15 a.m. EST in February. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Meir, Hathaway, Adenot and Fedyaev "advanced important science" during their time in orbit, crediting "the extraordinary expertise and competence of thousands across NASA, SpaceX, and our international partners" for their safe return. Dana Weigel, manager of NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program at Johnson Space Centre, said the agency's work transporting crew and conducting research on the station supports "the science, engineering, and risk-reduction needed for future missions across the solar system."

NASA said the four crew members will give details of their mission and scientific work during a news conference at its Johnson Space Centre on Thursday, 15 October, at 3:30 p.m. EDT. Isaacman said the mission builds "the capability, experience, and confidence" needed to repeat such long-duration flights, which he described as supporting future exploration goals. He thanked Crew-12 and their families for what he called their service to "humanity's greatest adventure."