SpaceX Crew-12 mission returns to Earth after nearly 8 months in space

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission returned to Earth on Thursday after nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), reported Xinhua, quoting NASA.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying four astronauts undocked from the ISS at 8:05 a.m. Wednesday Eastern Time (1205 GMT) and began its journey home.

The spacecraft splashed down at 11:34 a.m. Thursday Eastern Time (1534 GMT) off the coast of Los Angeles, California, marking the end of the Crew-12 mission.

The four-member crew consists of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

The mission launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 13. The crew spent 237 days at the ISS, conducting scientific experiments and technology demonstrations during the mission.