SpaceX brought the U.S., French and Russian flyers back with a splashdown in the Pacific off the coast of Los Angeles.
NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrey Fedyaev departed the orbiting lab on Wednesday, eager to reunite with their families after a lengthy separation. Their replacements arrived three weeks late because of capsule repairs, stalling this crew’s homecoming.
They couldn’t wait to feel the breeze on their faces, hit the shower and, for Adenot at least, plunge back into water sports.
“We are so excited to be back on Planet Earth after an incredible mission on the International Space Station,” Meir radioed moments after splashing down. While still in orbit, she said the crew had “a lot of mixed, swirling emotions” and would miss the “extraordinary views of our home planet.”
All four were out of their capsule within an hour, waving and pumping their fists in the air aboard SpaceX’s recovery ship. After a helicopter ride to shore, they were going to head for Houston.
Meir and her crew left the planet in February to replace four station occupants who were sent home early after one of them — NASA’s Mike Fincke, now retired — fell ill. It was NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.
The new foursome watched with pride two months later as the Artemis II astronauts flew around the moon. They also celebrated the United States’ 250th birthday up there, with Meir joining the Boston Pops with her piccolo for a Fourth of July concert.
Meir took part in four spacewalks, while Adenot ventured outside three times for maintenance and upgrades to the 28-year-old outpost.
In the middle of all the work, the astronauts found time for fun, throwing a dance party last month and holding regular cooking demonstrations complete with aprons and a chef’s toque.
Meir presented a how-to video for curly-haired spacewomen like herself, while Hathaway kept his bushy mustache — a space rarity — groomed to perfection. He grew the naval aviator-style mustache before rocketing into orbit as a way to honor his Navy ties, and found it no harder to maintain in weightlessness than on Earth. Some ground controllers grew mustaches in solidarity.
Will his mustache disappear now that his mission is over?
“It’s kind of become a little bit of my brand up here,” Hathaway said in August, “so I don’t know if it’ll go away right away or I’ll end up keeping it for a while.”
Seven astronauts remain aboard the space station, representing the U.S., Russia and Canada. The outpost has welcomed 298 visitors from 26 countries since the doors swung open in 2000, by NASA’s count.
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On a notable day for space exploration, SpaceX successfully facilitated the return of a crew comprising NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, along with French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian astronaut Andrey Fedyaev, marking a significant moment in their journey home from the International Space Station (ISS). The crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Los Angeles, after a long duration in space, eager to reunite with their families following a prolonged separation.
The astronauts departed the ISS on a Wednesday, expressing their excitement for the return to Earth. Their homecoming had been delayed by three weeks due to necessary repairs on the capsule that was supposed to transport their replacements. The anticipation of feeling the breeze, taking showers, and for Adenot, engaging in water sports again, filled the astronauts with enthusiasm.
Upon splashing down, Meir conveyed the crew’s mixed emotions, expressing both joy and nostalgia. They had shared extraordinary views of Earth from space and reflected on the incredible experiences they had during their mission. Within an hour of their splashdown, the astronauts were out of the capsule, celebrating their safe return aboard SpaceX’s recovery ship before taking a helicopter ride to shore and then heading to Houston.
Jessica Meir and her crew launched into space in February to replace another crew that had been sent home early due to a medical emergency involving NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. This incident marked NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight, underscoring the unpredictability and challenges of long-duration missions.
During their time aboard the ISS, the new crew witnessed historic events, including the Artemis II astronauts’ lunar flyby and the commemoration of the United States’ 250th birthday, where Meir participated in a Fourth of July concert with the Boston Pops, playing her piccolo. Both Meir and Adenot took part in multiple spacewalks, performing vital maintenance and upgrades on the aging space station, which has been operational for nearly three decades.
Alongside their duties, the astronauts found moments of levity and enjoyment. They organized a dance party and held cooking demonstrations, showcasing their culinary skills while donning aprons and chef hats. Meir even created a how-to video tailored for curly-haired astronauts, while Hathaway maintained his distinctive bushy mustache, a rarity in space. He grew the mustache in homage to his Navy background and noted that maintaining it in zero gravity was surprisingly easy. This lighthearted aspect of their mission fostered camaraderie among the crew and even inspired some ground controllers to grow mustaches in solidarity.
As the crew returned, they left behind seven astronauts on the ISS, representing the United States, Russia, and Canada. Since the station’s inception in 2000, it has welcomed 298 visitors from 26 different countries, highlighting its role as a collaborative platform for international scientific research and exploration.
The successful mission and return of Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev exemplify the ongoing commitment to human spaceflight and the spirit of exploration that drives these missions. As they look forward to reuniting with their loved ones and resuming life on Earth, the astronauts carry with them not only the memories of their time in space but also the experiences that contribute to the collective understanding of life beyond our planet.
