SpaceX Dragon Crew-12 Completes Deorbit Burn, Splashes Down Off California
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Image credit: Kim Shiflett · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
In brief
NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission ended on October 8, 2026, when the Crew Dragon capsule Freedom completed its deorbit burn and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast at 11:34 a.m. EDT. The four-person crew — two NASA astronauts, one ESA astronaut and one Roscosmos cosmonaut — had spent 237 days aboard the International Space Station.
Deorbit burn and splashdown
On October 8, 2026, SpaceX's Dragon capsule Freedom fired its engines for the deorbit burn, NASA said on its Commercial Crew blog, setting up a descent through the atmosphere that ended with splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 11:34 a.m. EDT (1534 GMT).
According to NASA's description of the descent, the capsule's drogue parachutes were set to deploy about four minutes before splashdown at roughly 18,000 feet in altitude, while Dragon was traveling near 350 mph. The main parachutes were to follow less than a minute later at about 6,000 feet, slowing the capsule to roughly 120 mph before it hit the water.
Spectrum News outlet News 13 reported that Dragon's heat shield endured temperatures of about 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry, citing NASA's live mission commentary, and that the trip from undocking to splashdown lasted more than 27 hours.
Who was aboard
Crew-12 was commanded by NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, with NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway serving as pilot. European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev flew as mission specialists, according to NASA and News 13.
The crew launched on February 13, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, News 13 and The Spokesman-Review reported, citing NASA. Spaceflight Now had reported ahead of launch that liftoff was targeted for 5:15 a.m. EST that day. The flight marked the capsule Freedom's fifth crewed mission, following Crew-4, Axiom Space's Ax-2 and Ax-3, and Crew-9, per News 13.
Dragon undocked from the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module on October 7 at 8:05 a.m. EDT while the station was over Cuba at an altitude of about 222 miles, The Spokesman-Review reported, citing NASA. By the time of splashdown, Crew-12 had logged 237 days in space, according to NASA and The Spokesman-Review.
Crew-12 mission at a glance
Milestone
Date / time
Launch
Feb. 13, 2026, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Undocking from ISS
Oct. 7, 2026, 8:05 a.m. EDT
Deorbit burn
Oct. 8, 2026, ahead of splashdown
Splashdown
Oct. 8, 2026, 11:34 a.m. EDT, Pacific Ocean off California
Total mission duration
237 days
Station handover continues
Before departing, Meir handed over command of the International Space Station, The Spokesman-Review reported. Crew-13 had already arrived at the station on October 1, 2026, bringing NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, according to The Spokesman-Review and NASA's space station blog.
NASA's blog said the new arrivals had begun health-focused research: Watkins collecting blood samples for studies on space-induced blood clot risk, Delaney logging sleep patterns and smartwatch data for an investigation called RelaxPro, Kutryk undergoing ultrasound vein scans, and Teteryatnikov performing acoustic respiratory monitoring. NASA said Crew-13 is expected to remain aboard the station through spring 2027.
NASA also said Crew-12 spent part of their final days packing cargo and personal items and preparing fluid-loading drink bags with salt tablets, a standard step to help returning crew members readjust to Earth's gravity.
Crew: Commander Jessica Meir (NASA), Pilot Jack Hathaway (NASA), Mission Specialists Sophie Adenot (ESA) and Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos).
Capsule: SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom, on its fifth crewed mission.
Launch: Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Mission length: 237 days aboard the International Space Station.
Splashed down off the coast of California at 11:34 a.m. ET, wrapping up their eight-month mission of scientific exploration and discovery.
— NASA mission commentary, quoted by Spectrum News's News 13
Questions
When exactly did SpaceX Crew-12 splash down?
The Crew Dragon capsule Freedom splashed down on October 8, 2026, at 11:34 a.m. EDT (1534 GMT) in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, according to NASA and News 13.
Who were the Crew-12 astronauts?
Crew-12 consisted of NASA Commander Jessica Meir, NASA Pilot Jack Hathaway, ESA Mission Specialist Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev.
How long was the Crew-12 mission?
The crew spent 237 days aboard the International Space Station after launching on February 13, 2026, and undocking on October 7, 2026, per NASA and The Spokesman-Review.
What happened right before splashdown?
NASA said Dragon completed its deorbit burn, then deployed drogue parachutes at about 18,000 feet roughly four minutes before splashdown, followed by main parachutes at about 6,000 feet less than a minute later.
Who is now aboard the ISS after Crew-12 left?
Crew-13 — NASA's Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov — arrived October 1, 2026, and is expected to stay through spring 2027, according to NASA.
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