{"id":349603,"date":"2026-01-15T20:59:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T10:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=1433a837f6e196a8d612903589ba49e7"},"modified":"2026-01-15T20:59:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T10:59:03","slug":"nasas-spacex-crew-11-mission-returns-splashes-down-off-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=349603","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission Returns, Splashes Down off California"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>
\n
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, left, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui are seen inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON shortly after having landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Cardman, Fincke, Yui, Platonov are returning after 167 days in space as part of Expedition 74 aboard the International Space Station.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Bill Ingalls<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely splashed down early Thursday morning in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, concluding a more than five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman<\/a> and Mike Fincke<\/a>, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov returned to Earth at 12:41 a.m. PST. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew shortly after landing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t be prouder of our astronauts and the teams on the ground at NASA, SpaceX, and across our international partnerships,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. \u201cTheir professionalism and focus kept the mission on track, even with an adjusted timeline. Crew-11 completed more than 140 science experiments that advance human exploration. Missions like Crew-11 demonstrate the capability inherent in America\u2019s space program\u2014our ability to bring astronauts home as needed, launch new crews quickly, and continue pushing forward on human spaceflight as we prepare for our historic Artemis II mission, from low Earth orbit to the Moon and ultimately Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crew-11 returned home about a month earlier than planned because of a medical concern teams are monitoring with one of the crew members, who remains stable. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member. Prior to return, NASA previously coordinated<\/a> for all four crew members to be transported to a local hospital for additional evaluation, taking advantage of medical resources on Earth to provide the best care possible.<\/p>\n

Following the planned overnight hospital stay, the crew members will return to NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston and undergo standard postflight reconditioning and evaluations.<\/p>\n

The Crew-11 mission lifted off<\/a> at 11:43 a.m. EDT on Aug.1, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. About 15 hours later, the crew\u2019s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the orbital outpost at 1:27 a.m. CDT on Aug. 2.<\/p>\n

During their 167-day mission, the four crew members traveled nearly 71 million miles and completed more than 2,670 orbits around Earth. The Crew-11 mission was Fincke\u2019s fourth spaceflight, Yui\u2019s second, and the first for Cardman and Platonov. Fincke has logged 549 days in space, ranking him fourth among all NASA astronauts for cumulative days in space.<\/p>\n

Along the way, Crew-11 logged hundreds of hours of research, maintenance, and technology demonstrations. The crew members also celebrated the 25th anniversary<\/a> of continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory on Nov. 2, 2025. Research conducted aboard the space station advances scientific knowledge and demonstrates new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew 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 Commercial Crew Program at:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/commercialcrew<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

-end-<\/p>\n

Joshua Finch \/ Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ james.j.russell@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

Sandra Jones \/ Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

Steven Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Share<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n