SpaceX Dragon Freedom Splashes Down in Pacific, Concluding NASA's Crew-12 Mission

A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off California, concluding NASA's 237-day Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station. The spacecraft, Dragon Freedom, completed a 27-hour return journey following a stay that began in February. The capsule reentered at roughly 17,500 mph, enduring 4 Gs before parachutes slowed it to roughly 15 to 16 mph at impact. The completion marks SpaceX's 12th operational Commercial Crew flight, with at least four contracted missions remaining before the station retires around 2030 as SpaceX shifts resources toward Starship.