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Four Astronauts Return to Earth After Eight Months Aboard Space Station
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News18•08-10-2026, 21:30
Four Astronauts Return to Earth After Eight Months Aboard Space Station
- •Four astronauts from the US, France, and Russia splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles after spending eight months on the International Space Station.
- •The crew, including NASA's Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France's Sophie Adenot, and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev, originally went to space in February to replace an ailing colleague.
- •Their return was delayed by three weeks due to necessary capsule repairs, extending their mission length.
- •During their time in orbit, the crew celebrated the US semiquincentennial, performed multiple spacewalks for station maintenance, and engaged in various recreational activities.
- •Seven astronauts from the US, Russia, and Canada currently remain aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Key Questions Answered
NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot, and Russia’s Andrey Fedyaev returned to Earth via a SpaceX splashdown in the Pacific after spending eight months in space.
The crew's homecoming was delayed because their replacement crew's arrival was stalled due to necessary capsule repairs.
They were sent to the space station in February to replace four station occupants who were sent home early after NASA’s Mike Fincke fell ill, marking NASA's first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.
