Washington, February 15, 2026 (Lusa) – NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, replacing the previous crew who returned to Earth earlier than planned due to a medical emergency.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule made contact with the ISS as scheduled at 3:15 p.m. EST (8:15 p.m. GMT) whereas orbiting over South Africa, approximately 34 hours after launching from the U.S. Space Force Station at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This successful docking underscores the growing reliability of commercial spaceflight partnerships.
“Soft capture phase completed,” reported mission commander Jessica Meir via radio, leading a crew that also includes fellow American Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, the second French woman to travel to space.
The full docking procedure took just over two hours, with hatches opening at 5:30 p.m. EST (10:30 p.m. GMT), according to NASA.
“We welcome Crew-12 and are happy to have you safely aboard,” greeted Russian Sergey Kud-Sverchkov on behalf of the ISS crew.
Crew-12 is slated for a mission lasting an estimated eight to nine months, exceeding the typical six-month duration of the joint NASA and SpaceX commercial program. This extended stay will allow for a more comprehensive series of scientific experiments and observations.
The newly arrived crew replaces the Crew-11 team – comprised of Americans Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian Oleg Platonov – who returned to Earth on January 14 following a medical evacuation, the first of its kind in the station’s history.
NASA has not disclosed the identity of the affected crew member to protect their privacy.
Since their departure, the ISS has operated with a reduced crew consisting of American Christopher Williams and cosmonauts Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, who have continued ongoing operations and scientific research.
APL // APL
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