NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely returned to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on January 15, 2026, concluding a 167-day mission after the space agency made the decision to end operations early due to a medical issue affecting one crew member.

The Dragon spacecraft touched down at approximately 3:41 a.m. off the coast of California, with the crew having spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station before undocking from the orbital laboratory’s Harmony module. The crew included Commander Zena Cardman and Mike Fink (NASA astronauts), Kimia Yui (JAXA astronaut), and Oleg Platonov (Roscosmos cosmonaut).

NASA confirmed that the affected crew member remains stable and cited medical privacy protocols in declining to identify the individual or disclose specific details about the medical concern. The early return marked a significant decision by mission planners who continuously monitored the crew member’s condition while living and working aboard the orbital laboratory.

The splashdown sequence proceeded as planned, with the Dragon spacecraft deploying its main parachutes at 119 mph, which decelerated the vehicle to approximately 15-16 mph before impact. SpaceX’s recovery team was standing by to retrieve the crew following the successful landing, with NASA coordinating with local hospitals to ensure medical readiness for any post-landing needs.

This mission represents another successful chapter in the commercial crew partnership between NASA and SpaceX, demonstrating the program’s operational maturity and commitment to crew safety during both routine operations and unexpected medical situations.

Photo by SpaceX-Imagery on Pixabay