NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts close the hatch of their Crew Dragon spacecraft at the International Space Station on Wednesday, October 7, as they prepare to return to Earth after nearly eight months in orbit.

Crew-12 includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The four launched aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom in February and joined Expeditions 74 and 75.

Hatch closure is one of the final steps before Freedom undocks from the ISS and begins its journey back to Earth, with splashdown planned off the coast of California on Thursday, October 8, subject to weather and sea conditions.