Astronauts Return from Space Station After Eight Months
By Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Thursday after an urgent eight-month mission to replace a colleague facing health issues. SpaceX facilitated their return with a splashdown in the Pacific off Los Angeles.
NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot, and Russia’s Andrey Fedyaev departed the orbiting lab on Wednesday. They were eager to reunite with their families after a long separation. Their replacements had arrived three weeks late due to capsule repairs, delaying this crew’s homecoming.
The astronauts looked forward to simple earthly pleasures such as feeling the breeze, taking a shower, and for Adenot, enjoying water sports. Her 237 days in orbit marked a record for the European Space Agency.
Meir expressed her excitement: “We are so excited to be back on Planet Earth after an incredible mission.” She noted that the crew experienced “a lot of mixed, swirling emotions” while in orbit and would miss the “extraordinary views of our home planet.”
Within an hour of their splashdown, the astronauts were on SpaceX’s recovery ship, celebrating with waves and fist pumps. After a helicopter ride to shore, they intended to head to Houston.
This crew had launched in February to take over from four occupants sent home early due to medical issues involving astronauts, marking NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years.
During their mission, they also watched with pride as Artemis II astronauts flew around the moon and celebrated the U.S. 250th birthday from space, with Meir performing with the Boston Pops in a Fourth of July concert.
Meir completed four spacewalks, while Adenot participated in three for the station’s maintenance and upgrades. Amid their tasks, the crew managed to host a dance party and cooking demonstrations, wearing aprons and chef hats.
Hathaway maintained his distinctive naval aviator-style mustache during the mission, sharing that it was easy to care for in weightlessness. He joked about whether he would keep it after returning to Earth, saying, “It’s kind of become a little bit of my brand up here.”
Currently, seven astronauts remain aboard the ISS, representing the U.S., Russia, and Canada. Since the station opened in 2000, it has welcomed 298 visitors from 26 countries.
SpaceX is set to launch a supply run to the station next week, delivering over 6,000 pounds of cargo, including the last solar panel series, a toilet pump, spacewalking suits, and fresh food.
