Particle.news
Download on the App Store
61 ARTICLES
·
9h ago

SpaceX Crew-12 Launches to Restaff ISS, Docking Planned This Afternoon

The accelerated mission is intended to close the staffing gap created by January’s medical evacuation.

From left, cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, European Space Agency pilot Jack Hathaway, NASA commander Jessica Meir, and NASA astronaut Sophie Adenot prepare for launch to the International Space Station.
Image
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft stands at Launch Complex 40 as preparations continue for the launch of NASA’s Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., February 12, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
Image

Overview

  • Falcon 9 lifted off Feb. 13 at 5:15 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, sending Crew Dragon on a roughly 34‑hour flight to an autonomous docking with the station’s Harmony module around 3:15 p.m. ET on Feb. 14.
  • The four-person crew comprises NASA’s Jessica Meir (commander) and Jack Hathaway (pilot), ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
  • Upon arrival, the station returns to its usual seven-person complement after operating with a three-person skeleton crew following Crew‑11’s early departure, with no direct handover possible.
  • The rotation is planned for about eight months, enabled by NASA and SpaceX extending Crew Dragon’s certified on‑orbit life beyond the previous ~210‑day limit.
  • Planned research includes studies on pneumonia-causing bacteria, on‑demand intravenous fluid generation, automated plant health monitoring, and blood‑flow effects during spaceflight.