Crew-11’s Stellar Ocean Touchdown

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission concluded its journey with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego early Thursday morning, marking the end of a significant 167-day expedition aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, touched down at 12:41 a.m. PST, welcomed by recovery teams from SpaceX.

This mission, which began on August 1, 2025, involved extensive scientific endeavors, including over 140 experiments aimed at advancing human space exploration. The crew members logged nearly 71 million miles in space, completing more than 2,670 Earth orbits. Mike Fincke, a veteran astronaut, achieved his fourth spaceflight, bringing his total time in space to 549 days – the fourth highest among NASA astronauts.

The return of Crew-11 was expedited by about a month due to a medical concern with one of the astronauts, who remains stable. Specific details about the medical issue have not been disclosed due to privacy concerns. Post-splashdown, the astronauts were taken to a local hospital for further evaluation and are scheduled to undergo postflight reconditioning at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, in partnership with private entities like SpaceX, continues to facilitate reliable access to the ISS, maximizing the station’s potential for research. The success of missions like Crew-11 underscores the capability of America’s space program and sets the stage for future explorations, including the upcoming Artemis II mission to the Moon. For more information on NASA’s initiatives and future missions, visit their official website.