Space Station Crew Returns to Earth After 148-Day Mission
The crew of SpaceX's Crew-10 mission successfully returned to Earth on Saturday, August 9, 2025, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California. The return marked the conclusion of their 148-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Here are more details about the mission and crew:
Crew Members: The four-person crew consisted of:
NASA astronauts Anne McClain (Commander) and Nichole Ayers (Pilot).
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi.
Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
The Mission: The crew launched on March 14, 2025, and spent nearly five months on the ISS as part of Expedition 73. During their time in orbit, they conducted hundreds of hours of scientific research, maintenance activities, and technology demonstrations. Their work included experiments on plant growth and studies on how microgravity affects human cells.
Spaceflight Milestones:
The mission was the first spaceflight for both Nichole Ayers and Kirill Peskov.
It was the second spaceflight for Anne McClain and Takuya Onishi.
Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers also completed a spacewalk on May 1 to perform maintenance and prepare for the installation of a new solar array.
The Crew-10 mission was the first-ever NASA-sponsored Crew Dragon flight to land in the Pacific Ocean.
The Return: The Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance, undocked from the ISS on August 8, 2025. After a series of maneuvers, the capsule and its crew made a safe return to Earth the following day. After being recovered by a SpaceX vessel, the crew was flown back to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for a medical evaluation and to reunite with their families.
