SpaceX is set to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, February 13, 2026, as part of its Nasa Commercial Crew Program mission dubbed Crew-12.
Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon Resilience from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is targeted for 3:45 pm IST, marking the 12th operational crew rotation flight.
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The multinational crew features Nasa astronauts Jessica Meir serving as pilot and Jack Hathaway as commander, alongside European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, both as mission specialists.
WATCH NASA-SPACEX CREW-12 LAUNCH HERE
This diverse team represents three space agencies and will embark on a six-month expedition, overlapping with Expedition 74 aboard the ISS. Their assignment accelerates following the early return of Crew-11 on January 15 due to a medical issue, minimizing gaps in station staffing.
Recent delays pushed the launch from February 11 to 13 owing to unfavorable weather in the ascent corridor, as confirmed in Nasa’s February 10 update.
A Launch Readiness Review on February 12 cleared the vehicle, with the first-stage booster slated for a historic return to Landing Zone 40 just seven-and-a-half minutes post-liftoff, its second flight overall.
Science highlights include advanced fluid dynamics tests for Mars habitats. (Photo: SpaceX)
Once docked to the Space Station on Saturday, the crew will spearhead over 250 experiments in microgravity, spanning biotechnology, materials science, and Earth observation.
Science highlights include advanced fluid dynamics tests for Mars habitats and protein crystal growth for drug development. These efforts advance Nasa’s Artemis program and deep-space ambitions while yielding terrestrial benefits like improved medical imaging.
Crew-12 is all about the maturing US-led commercial space era, with SpaceX having flown 11 prior crew missions flawlessly. Weather forecasts show 90% favorability, setting the stage for another milestone in human spaceflight.
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Published By:
Sibu Kumar Tripathi
Published On:
Feb 13, 2026