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After more than seven months aboard the International Space Station, NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-12 mission safely splashed down Thursday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles. The crew members will discuss their science mission during a news conference at 3:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 15, at the agency\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n
\u201cJessica, 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,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. \u201cBuilding the capability, experience, and confidence to do this repeatedly is exactly what will allow us to go farther, and I am grateful to Crew-12 and their families for their service to humanity\u2019s greatest adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev returned to Earth at 8:34 a.m. PDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew shortly after. Following standard postflight medical screenings, the crew will fly to shore before returning to NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n
\u201cNASA\u2019s activities supporting the International Space Station \u2014 transporting crew, conducting impactful research, and maintaining critical national assets \u2014 enable the science, engineering, and risk\u2011reduction needed for future missions across the solar system,\u201d said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA\u2019s Low Earth Orbit Program at the agency\u2019s Johnson Space Center. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful for the dedication across the human spaceflight team that makes this possible, and we\u2019re thrilled to welcome Jessica, Jack, Sophie, and Andrey home.\u201d<\/p>\n
During their 237-day mission, the four crew members traveled more than 100 million miles and completed more than 3,792 orbits around Earth. The mission was the second for Meir and Fedyaev and the first for Hathaway and Adenot. Crew-12 lifted off at 5:15 a.m. EST on Feb. 13 and docked to the orbiting laboratory a day later.<\/p>\n
Crew\u201112 logged hundreds of hours of scientific research to support human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and advance benefits for people on Earth. The crew members\u2019 work included testing stem cell production for cell\u2011based therapies, demonstrating on\u2011demand IV fluid generation for future missions, and studying how the bacteria that causes pneumonia can lead to long\u2011term heart damage. The crew also conducted nutrition-focused research and examined how physical characteristics may affect blood flow during spaceflight to help keep astronauts safe and healthy on future missions. Research conducted aboard the space station advances knowledge and demonstrates new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.<\/p>\n
Meir completed four spacewalks, bringing her career total to seven. That places her third all-time in total spacewalks among women at NASA, behind former agency astronauts Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams. Adenot completed three spacewalks, becoming the first French woman to venture outside the orbital outpost.<\/p>\n
United States-based media interested in attending the crew news conference in person with Meir, Hathaway, and Fedyaev, must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Oct. 13, at jsc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov. Media joining by phone must request dial-in details by 9:30 a.m., Oct. 15. To ask a question, media must join no later than 15 minutes before the start of the news conference. The agency\u2019s media credentialing policy is available online. Adenot will return to Europe and not be available during the news conference.<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s Low Earth Orbit Program provides reliable access to space, maximizing the use of the International Space Station for research and development by partnering with private U.S. companies, including SpaceX, to transport astronauts to and from the space station.<\/p>\n
Learn more about NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-12 at:<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Joshua Finch \/ Jimi Russell Sandra Jones \/ Joseph Zakrzewski Steven Siceloff
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov \/ james.j.russell@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov \/ joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n