A new crew launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, February 13, 2026, to replace astronauts who returned to Earth earlier than scheduled due to a medical evacuation – a first for NASA in 65 years of human spaceflight.
The four-person Crew-12 mission, comprised of two NASA astronauts, one European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, and one cosmonaut from Roscosmos, is slated for an eight to nine-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, extending through the fall. This mission is critical for maintaining a full research schedule on the ISS, a key platform for scientific advancement and technological innovation.
The crew – consisting of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev – will dock with the ISS on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 3:15 p.m. EST (2015 GMT), restoring the station to its full complement of seven crew members. The launch occurred on time at 5:15 a.m. EST (1115 GMT) after favorable weather conditions were confirmed, as reported by Space.com.
NASA had requested SpaceX expedite the launch due to the understaffed conditions on the ISS following the premature return of the previous crew in mid-January. The agency refrained from disclosing details regarding the medical issue that prompted the early return, citing medical privacy. Despite the astronaut being stable in orbit, NASA prioritized bringing them back to Earth for comprehensive care and diagnostics.
The arrival of Crew-12 will allow for the resumption of planned spacewalks and other tasks that were paused pending the arrival of the new team. According to CNN, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich, noted that crew training was the primary factor in determining the final launch date, even though SpaceX had processed the spacecraft and rocket ahead of schedule.
The successful launch, detailed in a NASA blog post, marks a significant moment for international collaboration in space and underscores the importance of reliable crew transportation systems like SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The crew will spend approximately 34 hours maneuvering to rendezvous and dock with the ISS.
