SpaceX Dragon Crew-12 Completes Deorbit Burn, Begins Return to Earth

SpaceX/Dragon

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 spacecraft completed its deorbit burn on October 8, 2026, beginning its return to Earth after a mission aboard the International Space Station. The capsule, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, is scheduled to splash down in the Atlantic Ocean. The deorbit burn is a critical maneuver that sets the trajectory for safe reentry and recovery.

• Crew-12 successfully completed the deorbit burn, the maneuver that initiates the return sequence to Earth
• Four crew members aboard: two NASA astronauts, one ESA astronaut, and one Roscosmos cosmonaut
• Drogue parachutes deploy at 18,000 feet; main parachutes deploy at 6,000 feet for controlled landing
• Mission marks another successful crewed mission under NASA's Commercial Crew Program partnership with SpaceX