NASA’s Crew-12 Launches Successfully to ISS
Hyderabad, February 13, 2026 — In a successful early morning liftoff, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission launched four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), marking the 12th crew rotation flight under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission restores the ISS to its full complement of seven crew members after a period of reduced staffing.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, lifted off at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 UTC / 3:45 p.m. IST) on Friday, February 13, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch proceeded smoothly, with the Falcon 9 first stage booster successfully landing at Landing Zone 40 adjacent to the pad — a notable milestone as the first time SpaceX launched and landed a booster from the same complex in Florida.
Aboard the Dragon spacecraft are:
- Commander: NASA astronaut Jessica Meir
- Pilot: NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway
- Mission Specialist: ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot (France)
- Mission Specialist: Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev
The crew reported reaching orbit successfully, with Commander Meir noting, “That was quite a ride… We have left the Earth, but the Earth has not left us.”
The spacecraft is now on a approximately 34-hour journey to the ISS, traveling at speeds of about 17,000 mph. Autonomous docking to the space-facing (zenith) port of the station’s Harmony module is scheduled for around 3:15 p.m. EST (2015 UTC / 8:45 p.m. IST) on Saturday, February 14, 2026 — coinciding with Valentine’s Day.
NASA’s live coverage of the rendezvous, docking, and subsequent hatch opening begins at 1:15 p.m. EST (1815 UTC / 2:45 a.m. IST on Feb. 15). This will be available on NASA+, NASA’s YouTube channel, Amazon Prime, and other platforms. Hatch opening is expected around 5 p.m. EST, followed by a welcome ceremony for the new arrivals joining the current Expedition 74 crew: NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.
The Crew-12 team will spend about eight months aboard the ISS, conducting a range of scientific research and technology demonstrations. Key experiments include:
- Studies on pneumonia-causing bacteria to develop cardiovascular treatments
- On-demand generation of intravenous fluids
- Effects of spaceflight on blood flow and physical characteristics
- Automated monitoring of plant health
- Plant-microbe interactions to support food production in space
These efforts aim to support future human exploration to the Moon and Mars while delivering benefits for life on Earth.
The mission was advanced from its original March target following the early return of the previous Crew-11 team due to a medical issue — the first medical evacuation in ISS history — which temporarily reduced the station’s crew to three.
For the latest updates, live streams, and viewing options (with or without a Valentine), visit NASA’s dedicated page: https://go.nasa.gov/4qz1Wig.
This story is compiled from official NASA and SpaceX sources as of February 13, 2026. Stay tuned for docking coverage tomorrow!
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