Crew-11 Returns Home After Five-Month Mission in Space
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely returned to Earth early Thursday morning, ending more than five months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 12:41 a.m. Pacific time. Recovery teams aboard SpaceX ships quickly secured the capsule and helped the crew exit safely.
The four astronauts on board were NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov from Roscosmos. Their return marked the successful completion of a 167-day mission focused on science, maintenance, and international cooperation in space.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the crew and support teams for their work. He highlighted the professionalism of NASA, SpaceX, and international partners, noting that the mission stayed on track despite changes to its schedule. During their time in orbit, the Crew-11 astronauts completed more than 140 scientific experiments designed to support future human exploration. These efforts help NASA prepare for upcoming missions, including Artemis II, which aims to send astronauts around the Moon and eventually support missions to Mars.
The crew returned about one month earlier than originally planned due to a medical concern involving one crew member. NASA confirmed that the astronaut is stable but did not release further details to protect medical privacy. As a precaution, NASA arranged for all four crew members to be taken to a local hospital after landing for additional medical checks. After an overnight stay, they will travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will begin routine postflight recovery and health evaluations.
In addition to their daily work, the crew marked an important milestone on Nov. 2, 2025, celebrating 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the ISS. Research conducted on the station continues to expand scientific knowledge and test technologies needed for long-term exploration beyond Earth.
The Crew-11 mission was part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which works with U.S. companies like SpaceX to provide safe and reliable transportation to and from the International Space Station, ensuring ongoing research and innovation in low Earth orbit.