Astronauts Conclude Space Mission with Pacific Ocean Landing

A team consisting of two NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth on Saturday, completing their 148-day sojourn in space with a secure splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of San Diego.

The crew members—led by commander Anne McClain, with pilot Nichole Ayers alongside Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov—touched down in SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance, at precisely 11:33 a.m. EDT. Their return followed a prolonged 17.5-hour trip back to Earth.

Swiftly mobilized SpaceX recovery teams at the site worked to secure the capsule and hoist it onto a recovery ship. Once the hatch was opened, the returning astronauts were carefully assisted out to conduct preliminary health screenings, starting their adaptation back to Earth's gravity—something they hadn't experienced for nearly five months.

Each member of the crew appeared to be in robust health and high spirits. A helicopter was prepared for immediate transport of the astronauts to the shore, where a NASA aircraft awaited to take them back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Originally set to depart earlier, the Crew 10 mission undocked from the International Space Station's forward docking point at 6:15 p.m. on Friday. Strong winds off the coast of Southern California had delayed the maneuver earlier in the week.

After retreating to a safe distance from the space station, the Crew Dragon adjusted its course along a route heading from the southwest to northeast towards San Diego, allowing the astronauts a few last precious hours in microgravity.

At 10:39 a.m., the spacecraft's Draco thrusters ignited, conducting a burn lasting over 17 minutes to decelerate by approximately 257 miles per hour, sufficient to bring the capsule down into Earth's atmosphere 43 minutes later.

A Fiery Descent and a Gentle Landing

Traveling at about 17,000 miles per hour—equivalent to racing through 84 football fields every second—the Dragon capsule teared through the atmosphere. The intense friction created a fiery blaze before it decelerated to more manageable speeds.

Upon nearing the ocean, the craft deployed its primary parachutes, which inflated and ensured a gentle landing in the sea.

New Crew Takes Over in Space

Remaining on the space station are Crew 11, including commander Zena Cardman, co-pilot Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, in addition to Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim aboard the Soyuz MS-27/73S.

Having handed over duties to their successors, McClain and her colleagues spent four days acquainting the newcomers with the nuances of station operations. They bid farewell as they started their homeward journey on Friday.

Pioneering Splashdown in the Pacific

Crew 10 marked a novel achievement as the first NASA crew to execute a return in the Pacific Ocean, breaking away from previous splashdowns along Florida's coastline.

SpaceX opted for this new landing zone to ensure any remains from the discarded trunk section of the Crew Dragon, jettisoned before reentry, would fall harmlessly away from inhabited regions.

Earlier this year, two commercial launches had prepped for this change by returning to the Pacific, setting the stage for Crew 10’s successful conclusion.