NASA's ISS Crew 11 Splashes Down, Just Off San Diego, Overnight -- Over A Month Early. But All Is Well, Medically Speaking.

We are thrilled that everyone returned with no new medical episodes, and they were picked up right on time, out of the Pacific waters. Excellent!

Here's the overnight presser, with a cool infrared gif -- at the top of NASA's splashpage/homepage at the moment:

. . .NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely splashed down early Thursday morning in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, concluding a more than five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov returned to Earth at 12:41 a.m. PST. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew shortly after landing.

“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. “Their professionalism and focus kept the mission on track, even with an adjusted timeline. Crew-11 completed more than 140 science experiments that advance human exploration. Missions like Crew-11 demonstrate the capability inherent in America’s space program—our ability to bring astronauts home as needed, launch new crews quickly, and continue pushing forward on human spaceflight. . . .

And separately, do check the comments to the last post, for an excellent protest version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. . . from across the pond, on YouTube. Onward, now.

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