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NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, splashed down safely in their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 3:29 a.m. EDT on October 25, completing a seven-month (235 days) science mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The astronauts, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida coast early Friday. They had undocked from the ISS earlier in the week to embark on a voyage to Earth. After splashdown, the crew underwent routine medical checks aboard the recovery ship.

Dragon reentering Earth's atmosphere ahead of splashing down off the coast of Florida pic.twitter.com/4CE8dtUeDw

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 25, 2024

However, shortly after their return, one unnamed NASA astronaut experienced a medical issue and was transported to a hospital in Pensacola for further evaluation “out of an abundance of caution.” NASA reported that the astronaut is in stable condition and remains hospitalized as a precaution, citing patient privacy for not disclosing further details. The other three crew members were discharged and returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, @dominickmatthew, Mike, @Astro_Jeanette, and Sasha! pic.twitter.com/3fhqlQ3btP

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 25, 2024

“During its return to Earth, the SpaceX Dragon executed a normal entry and splashdown. Recovery of the crew and the spacecraft was without incident. During routine medical assessments on the recovery ship, the additional evaluation of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of caution,” shared the agency in a press release. “We’re grateful to Ascension Sacred Heart for its support during this time, and we are proud of our team for its quick action to ensure the safety of our crew members.”

Their return was initially planned for two months earlier but faced delays due to safety concerns with Boeing’s Starliner capsule issues, which returned empty in September, and the impacts of Hurricane Milton. High winds and rough seas further postponed their homecoming.

Michael Barratt, the mission’s only veteran astronaut, praised the support teams who adapted to the challenges, saying they had to “replan, retool and kind of redo everything right along with us.”

The astronauts launched in March this year, they will be replaced by two Starliner test pilots and two astronauts who recently launched on a SpaceX mission. Their replacements will remain aboard the Space Station until February 2025. With the return of the four astronauts, the space station’s crew has returned to its normal size of seven—four Americans and three Russians—after months of overflow.

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