NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission Concludes with Safe Splashdown off California After Early Return Due to Medical Concern

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Dragon spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California following an overnight return from the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Cape Canaveral, FL., (January 15th, 2025)- In the early hours of Thursday, January 15, 2026, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission concluded with a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California, marking the end of a 167-day stay in orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The mission landed at approximately 12:41 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, with the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft returning four international crew members safely to Earth.

The Crew-11 astronaut team consisted of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Recovery teams aboard SpaceX vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew shortly after splashdown, initiating post-flight medical and physiological evaluations.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our astronauts and the teams on the ground at NASA, SpaceX, and across our international partnerships,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in the agency’s official release. “Their professionalism and focus kept the mission on track, even with an adjusted timeline.”

According to NASA, the early return was prompted by a medical concern involving one of the crew members. The astronaut in question remains unnamed due to privacy considerations, but officials confirmed the individual was stable throughout the descent and after landing. Prior to return, teams coordinated to bring all four crew members to a local hospital for comprehensive Earth-based medical evaluation, taking full advantage of terrestrial healthcare resources.

Crew-11’s mission, which launched on August 1, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, represented one of the longest durations of continuous research and operations aboard the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Over nearly five and a half months in space, the four-person team logged more than 2,670 orbits of Earth and traveled nearly 71 million miles while conducting hundreds of scientific investigations that contribute to long-duration human spaceflight research and technological advancement.

The mission’s early conclusion also marked a notable milestone in NASA’s human spaceflight operations. While international crews have previously adjusted schedules for various reasons, this is the first time a U.S. ISS crewed mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program returned ahead of its planned end date due to a medical situation involving a crewmember.

Following splashdown, the astronauts will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will complete standard post-flight reconditioning and reunite with family and colleagues. Meanwhile, NASA and SpaceX continue preparations for the upcoming Crew-12 mission, currently targeted for launch in mid-February, which will restore a full complement of station crew members and sustain ISS operations.

Crew-11’s successful return underscores the robustness of NASA’s partnership with SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program, enabling flexible responses to in-orbit contingencies while maintaining high standards for astronaut safety and mission success.