Crew Dragon Freedom Splashes Down in Pacific
Four astronauts from NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos returned safely aboard the spacecraft.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft completed its return to Earth on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles, California. Onboard were NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
The landing marks the end of the mission, during which the crew lived and worked in orbit. The spacecraft touched down in the ocean as planned, with recovery teams already in position to assist the astronauts after their return from space.
This mission continued the ongoing partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency, and Russia's Roscosmos in crewed spaceflight. The use of the Crew Dragon vehicle, built and operated by SpaceX, has become a regular means of transporting astronauts to and from orbit since its introduction.
Source: NASA