Crew-12: NASA, ESA and Roscosmos target February 11 launch from Cape Canaveral
The
Crew-12 mission, the next crew rotation to the International Space Station (ISS), is targeted to launch no earlier than Wednesday,
February 11, 2026, at
11:00 GMT, or
12:00 CET (06:00 EST). Liftoff is planned from
Space Launch Complex 40 at the
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and the four-member crew will travel to the station in the
SpaceX Dragon capsule, propelled into orbit by a
Falcon 9 rocket. Thursday,
February 12 at
10:38 GMT or
11:38 CET (05:38 EST) and Friday,
February 13 at
10:15 GMT or
11:15 CET (05:15 EST) are listed as backup dates, which is standard practice in case of unfavorable weather conditions or technical constraints. At this time, it is important to distinguish between the “target” date and the official schedule: NASA previously cited
February 15 as the initial goal in its materials, but in recent updates has confirmed that it is considering an earlier liftoff with partners, while specialized sources state the plan has moved to February 11. In other words, the window is defined, but final confirmation of the timing in practice depends on final reviews and the “go/no-go” decision in the hours leading up to the launch.
Why the schedule is changing: after the earlier return of Crew-11, the goal is to fill the crew on the station faster
The shift in the Crew-12 schedule fits into the context of events from the beginning of the year, when NASA decided to return the
Crew-11 mission earlier than originally planned. In an announcement on
January 9, 2026, the agency stated that a
medical issue of one crew member was being monitored on the station, who is stable but requires diagnostics and treatment options available on Earth, with details not being released due to medical privacy. After several days of preparation and risk assessments, Crew-11 completed its return on January 15, 2026, with a safe
splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, ending a mission of more than five months. The early return left the station with fewer members than its usual capacity, and NASA spoke openly about the need to adjust the schedule of the next rotation to maintain continuous scientific and operational dynamics. In this logic, Crew-12 gains additional weight: it is not just “another rotation”, but a mission that must buffer the temporary shortage of people in the orbiting laboratory. That is precisely why public sources mention accelerating preparations and moving the planned date, with an emphasis that all steps are being carried out within standard safety procedures.
Who is flying: four members from three agencies
The Crew-12 crew consists of
NASA Commander Jessica Meir,
NASA Pilot Jack Hathaway,
ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot, and
Roscosmos Cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who serves as a mission specialist. It is a combination of experience and debuts: Meir and Fedyaev have already been on long-duration missions to the ISS, while Hathaway and Adenot will fly into orbit for the first time. NASA states that during her previous mission, Meir spent
205 days in space as an Expedition 61/62 flight engineer and performed the first three “all-woman” spacewalks with astronaut Christina Koch, totaling
21 hours and 44 minutes outside the station. For this mission, Meir is in the role of capsule commander, and Crew-12 is her first flight in a
Dragon, as she first traveled to the ISS on other spacecraft. Jack Hathaway, according to a NASA statement, comes from a naval and test-pilot background and is going to space for the first time, with experience of more than
2,500 flight hours in 30 different aircraft and hundreds of carrier landings. Sophie Adenot, an ESA astronaut selected in 2022, is going to orbit for the first time; her biography highlights studies in engineering and human factors, work in industry, and years of experience in helicopter flying, including more than
3,000 hours on 22 types of helicopters, along with test-pilot assignments in French structures. Andrey Fedyaev, who was part of the
Crew-6 mission in 2023 and spent
186 days in orbit, is now returning to the ISS as part of agreed crew swaps between agencies; some media also state that this could be the first case of a Russian cosmonaut flying on a Crew Dragon for a second time, but NASA’s official biographies emphasize his previous duties and experience in the program. In this combination of personal profiles, the purpose of rotation missions is visible: scientific tasks, pilot competencies, and international cooperation, which is tested in practice precisely during long stays on the station, merge in the same flight.
Flying on Dragon and Falcon 9: what the liftoff from SLC-40 means
Crew-12 travels in the
Dragon capsule, while the
Falcon 9 handles the key part of the journey: exiting the atmosphere and accelerating to orbital speed, after which the capsule maneuvers independently toward the ISS. In the announcement of the mission briefing, NASA states that the liftoff is planned from
SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which is one of SpaceX’s main complexes on the U.S. East Coast and an infrastructure point used for a series of different missions. In practice, “no earlier than” does not mean a guarantee of liftoff, but the first window in which the prerequisites are aligned: readiness of the rocket and capsule, availability of the launch complex, safety parameters, and meteorological and maritime conditions in the zones where the capsule could land in the event of a premature mission abort. Because of this, alternative windows are listed in the announcements, and decisions are made gradually through system checks and weather forecasts. Additionally, the fact that crew rotations are tied to the operation of the ISS means that orbital mechanics are monitored alongside terrestrial conditions: the docking window must “fit” into the schedule of the station and its systems, and any delay produces a cascade of new calculations and schedules. Finally, the Dragon–Falcon 9 technological matrix itself is crucial today for the American segment of crew rotations, and Crew-12 is a continuation of that rhythm in a year in which operational pressure has increased due to the earlier return of the previous crew.
How long the mission lasts and which expeditions it takes over
Crew-12 will join the crews of Expeditions
74 and
75 on the ISS, with an expected stay of about
nine months, longer than the usual six-month rotations. In the description of Expedition 74, NASA states that it began on
December 8, 2025, and lasts until the summer of 2026, with a steady rhythm of scientific work, system maintenance, and logistics. The idea of crew rotation is that the transition from one expedition to another happens without interruption: one part of the crew leaves, another arrives, and the overlap allows for the handover of duties, transfer of knowledge, and stability of operations. A nine-month stay in such a framework carries specific requirements, from psychological preparation to the planning of work cycles, because in such long missions, priorities change, new cargo shipments arrive, and part of the equipment and systems enters maintenance phases that cannot be “postponed” without consequences. In its materials on Crew-12, NASA emphasizes that it is a long-duration scientific expedition, which is a concise description, but in practice means hundreds of hours of work in laboratory modules, monitoring one's own health status, and collaborating with mission control almost daily. In such a structure, Crew-12 does not join an “empty” station, but a system in continuous operation, in which every day is planned in advance, but the plan is regularly revised depending on events in orbital and terrestrial logistics. That is precisely why this mission is also spoken of as a stabilization mission: its arrival should return the workforce to a level that allows the pace of the scientific program to be maintained alongside station maintenance.
Science and technology: focus on research with Earth applications and future missions
NASA points out that missions within the
Commercial Crew Program, along with routine logistics and station maintenance, are a platform for
scientific research and technology demonstrations. In the statement on the crew composition and roles, it is noted that Crew-12 conducts experiments and demonstrations that help prepare humans for future missions to the Moon and Mars, while simultaneously bringing benefits to Earth. Although a detailed list of experiments for each mission is often published closer to launch or during the stay on the ISS, the framework is known: research in microgravity allows for the observation of physiological changes in the human body, the behavior of materials and fluids, and the efficiency of different technologies in conditions not available on Earth. In practice, this also includes medical protocols, as each mission is used to further refine the monitoring of crew health, which is particularly relevant in a year in which medical reasons for the earlier return of the previous crew are publicly discussed. Also, research on the station often has direct applications, for example in the field of biomedicine, process optimization, or the development of new materials, with the results later transferred to industry and science on the ground. In a broader context, NASA emphasizes that the station serves as a testbed for long-duration human stay in space, which is a fundamental prerequisite for any mission lasting months, not days. In this sense, Crew-12, due to the planned nine months, gains additional research value: a longer stay increases both the amount of data and experiences that can be collected, but also the requirements for discipline, maintaining fitness, and precise monitoring of all parameters that mission control considers key.
Quarantine and preparations: “health stabilization” as a standard before liftoff
To reduce the risk of infections immediately before the flight, astronauts undergo a health stabilization program, which NASA describes in its documents as a combination of isolation, testing, and medical surveillance before liftoff. Such a regime is not symbolic: even a relatively banal respiratory infection can delay a launch at a critical moment, and in orbit, further complicate crew work and the schedule of operations, especially if symptoms appear that reduce work capacity. In the document on the quarantine program, NASA explains that measures are adapted to the type of mission and operational needs, but the primary goal is to reduce the probability of the crew carrying an acute infection into space, as well as the risk of exposure immediately before the flight. In the available information on Crew-12, it is stated that Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev entered quarantine on Wednesday,
January 28, 2026, at the
Johnson Space Center in Houston, and that they should leave for Florida, to the
Kennedy Space Center, on Friday,
February 6, where isolation continues until launch. This schedule follows common logic: final health and operational checks are completed in Houston, and then the crew moves closer to the launch infrastructure for final training, briefings, and preparation of the spacecraft. Entering quarantine does not mean a stop to work; on the contrary, part of the preparations continues under controlled conditions, with limited contact with the external environment, stricter protocols, and clear logistics of movement. In practice, it is also a psychological transition from the phase of long-term preparations to the phase of immediate execution, in which every hour is planned with greater precision and with less room for improvisation.
International cooperation in practice: one crew, three flags, the same goal
Crew-12 is another confirmation that the ISS remains a space where operational cooperation between partners continues in daily work. NASA emphasizes in its materials that the station is a critical testbed for understanding the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and for developing a “low Earth orbit economy,” while private companies take over part of the transport services and destination development. In communication about Sophie Adenot’s participation, ESA emphasizes the European dimension of the mission and the fact that it is her first spaceflight, which is both symbolically and operationally important for future European programs. Roscosmos’ participation through Fedyaev is part of a broader crew exchange agreement, which ensures that there is always at least one member from each side on the station, ensuring continuity of work and “redundancy” in managing station segments. In practice, such a structure also has very concrete consequences: the distribution of tasks, training in specific systems, and language coordination are part of everyday life, and the crew must function as a single team regardless of national affiliations. In a situation where the station was temporarily working with fewer people, the role of the international team becomes even more important, as the goal is to return the capacity for science, maintenance, and operations. Crew-12 can thus be read as a continuation of the long continuity of the ISS, but also as a reminder that international cooperation in orbit is primarily a matter of daily practice, and only then political symbolism.
What follows until February 11: launch windows and the “go/no-go” decision
In the days leading up to the launch, “go/no-go” reviews are key, when NASA and SpaceX teams, together with international partners, decide based on technical data and weather forecasts whether they can proceed to countdown. The very fact that backup dates of
February 12 and
13 are defined shows how the reality of possible delays, from meteorology to technical deviations that must be checked and resolved, is built into the planning in advance. NASA stated in the mission briefing announcement that options for an earlier launch relative to the initial February 15 goal are being analyzed, which means that work is being done on multiple scenarios in parallel and that the schedule is adapted to the actual state of the systems and the station. In public reports, including specialized sources, it is highlighted that part of the acceleration is related to the need to stabilize the crew schedule on the ISS as soon as possible after the earlier return of Crew-11. If Crew-12 takes off on February 11, the arrival at the station follows after the phase of orbital checks and the approach maneuver, and then through the handover of duties, the takeover of part of the operational and scientific activities. In case of delay, moving to backup dates is usually possible without changing the fundamental goals of the mission, but requires new alignment with the weather, teams on the ground, and the availability of docking windows. Precisely because of this, the last week before liftoff is often the most dynamic part of the entire campaign: at the same time, final checks, quarantine protocols, coordination with the station, and public communication take place, and the final outcome depends on whether all systems and conditions “fit” into one precisely determined hour.
Sources:- NASA – decision on the earlier return of Crew-11 due to a medical reason and the stable condition of a crew member (link)- NASA – Crew-11: official account of the return and splashdown off San Diego on January 15, 2026 (link)- NASA – official statement on the composition and biographies of the Crew-12 crew (link)- NASA – briefings on the Crew-12 mission and statement that moving the launch from the February 15 goal is being considered (link)- NASA – Crew-12 mission description and Commercial Crew program context (link)- NASA – Expedition 74: expedition duration framework and context of station operation in 2026 (link)- ESA – media announcement and context of astronaut Sophie Adenot’s participation in the Crew-12 mission (link)- Space.com – report on moving the targeted Crew-12 launch date to February 11 and backup windows (link)- NASA NTRS – document on NASA’s preflight quarantine and health stabilization program (link)
Find accommodation nearby
Creation time: 2 hours ago