Astronauts Return to Earth After Early Departure from Space Station

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman deemed the 167-day mission a success.

NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke smiles and gives a thumbs up after returning to Earth from the International Space Station with NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 on Jan. 15, 2026. NASA

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule Endeavor splashed down off the California coast in the early hours of Jan. 15 as NASA and its international partners in space closed out a shortened but successful multi-month mission in space.

Inside the capsule, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov had returned home from the International Space Station after nearly 170 days in space. Parachutes were deployed and dropped the charred spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean just after 3:40 a.m. ET.