NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission has successfully concluded with a protected splashdown within the Pacific Ocean early Thursday morning, just off the coast of San Diego. The landing delivered to an in depth a mission that lasted greater than five months aboard the International Space Station.
The returning crew included NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Their SpaceX Dragon capsule touched down at 12:41 a.m. PST, after which recovery teams aboard SpaceX vessels quickly secured the spacecraft and assisted the astronauts.
Science Success and International Collaboration
“I could not be prouder of our astronauts and the teams on the bottom at NASA, SpaceX, and across our international partnerships,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Their professionalism and focus kept the mission on the right track, even with an adjusted timeline. Crew-11 accomplished greater than 140 science experiments that advance human exploration. Missions like Crew-11 exhibit the aptitude inherent in America’s space program — our ability to bring astronauts home as needed, launch recent crews quickly, and proceed pushing forward on human spaceflight as we prepare for our historic Artemis II mission, from low Earth orbit to the Moon and ultimately Mars.”
Over the course of the mission, the crew devoted lots of of hours to scientific research, station maintenance, and testing recent technologies. In addition they marked a historic milestone on Nov. 2, 2025, celebrating 25 years of uninterrupted human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory. Research conducted on the space station continues to expand scientific understanding while supporting future missions beyond Earth orbit.
Early Return Resulting from Medical Concern
Crew-11 returned to Earth about one month sooner than planned after teams identified a medical concern involving one crew member. NASA confirmed the person stays stable but didn’t release further details to guard medical privacy.
Ahead of the return, NASA arranged for all 4 astronauts to be transported to a neighborhood hospital following splashdown. This allowed the crew to receive additional medical evaluation using Earth-based resources. After a planned overnight stay, the astronauts will travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they’ll begin standard postflight evaluations and physical reconditioning.
Mission Timeline and Time in Orbit
The Crew-11 mission began on Aug.1, 2025, with a launch at 11:43 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roughly 15 hours later, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station at 1:27 a.m. CDT on Aug. 2.
During their 167 days in space, the crew accomplished greater than 2,670 orbits of Earth and traveled nearly 71 million miles. The mission marked the fourth spaceflight for Mike Fincke and the second for Kimiya Yui, while Zena Cardman and Oleg Platonov flew their first missions. Fincke has now collected 549 total days in space, placing him fourth amongst NASA astronauts for cumulative time spent in orbit.
Industrial Crew Program and Future Missions
NASA’s Industrial Crew Program continues to supply consistent access to space by partnering with private U.S. corporations, including SpaceX. These collaborations allow astronauts to travel to and from the International Space Station while maximizing the station’s role as a hub for research and technology development.
The successful return of Crew-11 highlights this system’s ability to support complex missions, reply to unexpected challenges, and keep human spaceflight moving forward as NASA prepares for future exploration of the Moon and Mars.