SpaceX Crew-10 Returns Safely in Historic Pacific Splashdown
San Diego, August 9, 2025 – Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Crew-10 mission have successfully returned to Earth, concluding their five-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with a dramatic splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. The Dragon capsule touched down at 11:33 a.m. EDT, marking the agency’s first Pacific recovery in half a century.
The mission began earlier this year with the launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, carrying a diverse crew tasked with a range of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and ISS maintenance projects. During their time in orbit, the astronauts contributed to studies on microgravity’s effects on human health, tested advanced space manufacturing techniques, and assisted in upgrades to station systems that will support future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.
AI-generated image — created by ChatGPT
The decision to return via the Pacific was a carefully coordinated move, driven by weather conditions and recovery logistics. In the final hours before re-entry, the Dragon capsule completed a series of deorbit burns before enduring the fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere. Splashdown was met with swift recovery operations by SpaceX’s teams, who secured the capsule and transported it to shore.
This Pacific landing recalls NASA’s early human spaceflight era, when astronauts from the Apollo program splashed down in the same waters. The return of this method, after decades of Atlantic and Gulf recoveries, reflects a growing flexibility in mission planning and a broader range of safe landing options.
Crew-10’s success not only strengthens the partnership between NASA and SpaceX but also paves the way for future missions under the Commercial Crew Program, which continues to provide the United States with reliable, cost-effective access to low Earth orbit.
With Crew-11’s launch preparations already underway, the momentum for human spaceflight remains strong — and for the first time in decades, the Pacific Ocean is back on the map for astronaut homecomings.
