Key Points
- NASA and SpaceX have set January 25, 2026 as the target date for the Crew-11 astronauts’ return to Earth.
- The mission has conducted scientific research aboard the ISS that supports future space exploration goals.
- Crew safety and weather conditions will guide the exact timing of departure and splashdown.
NASA and SpaceX have confirmed a target date of January 25, 2026 for the return of astronauts aboard the Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth. The joint mission has contributed to scientific research and station operations since its launch, with the crew conducting experiments and maintenance tasks that support long-duration spaceflight knowledge. A safe splashdown is planned off the coast of Florida, where recovery teams will be ready to retrieve the crew and the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft under favourable weather and sea conditions.
The Crew-11 team has spent months aboard the ISS carrying out studies in microgravity that touch on human health, material science and biological processes. These research results are expected to benefit both future deep-space missions and Earth-based applications, including medical and technological advances. NASA and SpaceX officials have coordinated closely to ensure all return procedures meet stringent safety and timing requirements.
Weather and sea state will remain key factors influencing the exact timing of the departure from the ISS and splashdown, and NASA mission control continues to monitor forecasts. Should conditions change, officials may adjust the return window to ensure crew safety, though current projections point to the January 25 target date as achievable.
The Crew-11 mission launched in spring 2025 with a four-person international crew, symbolising ongoing collaboration between NASA and its global partners. Their work while in orbit helped sustain ISS operations and gathered data relevant to human adaptation to space — a priority as NASA prepares for future Artemis lunar missions and other deep-space goals.
NASA has used SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule for a string of successful ISS crew rotations, reinforcing the agency’s role in commercial partnerships for human spaceflight. The space agency says these missions continue to demonstrate reliable access to low-Earth orbit while freeing NASA resources to focus on exploration beyond.
Crew-11’s return will also mark another step in SpaceX’s evolving record of human spaceflight achievements, contributing to the company’s growing portfolio of astronaut missions. SpaceX has returned numerous crews safely since its first operational rotation, building confidence in the commercial spacecraft’s design and procedures.
Mission leaders said the returning astronauts will undergo post-flight medical checks and participate in briefings to share findings from their experiments, helping ground-based researchers and planners for future missions. Insights from long-duration stays aboard the ISS feed into NASA’s understanding of space-induced physiological changes, which is vital for planning Artemis missions to the Moon and eventually Mars.
Overall, the planned Crew-11 splashdown reflects continued success in public-private spaceflight collaboration and adds to the growing body of knowledge supporting human exploration beyond Earth orbit.
