NASA, SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts return to Earth after 237-day space mission

A four-member international astronaut crew returned Thursday to Earth following an extensive mission aboard the International Space Station.

They completed a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

Splashdown was confirmed at 1534GMT as the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft landed in target waters, concluding a 237-day scientific expedition in orbit.

The returning Crew-12 complement includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, who served as mission commander, and Jack Hathaway, the mission pilot, alongside European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

The crew departed the orbital laboratory Wednesday.

The four astronauts launched toward the station Feb. 13 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

Their return follows the arrival of the Replacement Crew-13 mission, which launched Oct. 1.

"We have to return to the moon. We have to build the moon base. We want to master the skills," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told Fox Business, speaking on broader American exploration initiatives.

Isaacman said teams aim to validate mobility suits, habitability, power systems and communications on the lunar surface before attempting crewed flights to Mars, which he said is the “next step on this journey.”