SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission lifted off on February 13 at 10:15 UTC (05:15 a.m. EST) from Launch Complex 40 (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This marks the twelfth crew rotation mission conducted by SpaceX for NASA under the Commercial Crew Program.
The multinational crew will spend nine months on the orbiting laboratory, and they will conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit humanity on Earth.
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The flight
Two and a half minutes after liftoff, the second stage separated nominally from the booster, which landed for the first time at LZ-40, SpaceX’s brand new landing zone for Falcon 9. Today’s first stage is the booster B1101, on its second mission.
Falcon 9 has landed, completing our first landing at LZ-40! pic.twitter.com/PZXeOYdbaN
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 13, 2026
The Crew-12 mission is flying aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom spacecraft, which previously supported the private Axiom Mission 2 and Axiom Mission 3 flights, as well as SpaceX’s Crew-9.
At T+ 09:37, the second stage released the capsule on its way toward the ISS, which is set to reach tomorrow, Feb. 13, at 08:15 UTC.
Upon arrival at the International Space Station, Crew-12 members will join Expedition 74. There will be no direct crew handover, as the Crew-11 mission returned to Earth early in January due to a medical issue involving one of its members.
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The Crew
Jessica Meir is the mission commander. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013, Crew-12 is her second spaceflight.
Meir previously served as a Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for the Expedition 61/62 and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.
She holds a degree in Biology, a Master of Science in Space Studies from the International Space University and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Jack Hathaway is the Pilot. Selected by NASA in 2021, Crew-12 is his first spaceflight.
He holds bachelor’s degrees in Physics and History from the U.S. Naval Academy. Hathaway has logged over 2,500 flight hours across 30 different aircraft, completed more than 500 carrier landings, and flown 39 combat missions.
Sophie Adenot is the Mission Specialist. She studied engineering at ISAE‑SUPAERO in Toulouse, France, where she specialized in spacecraft flight dynamics and a Master of Science in Human Factors Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Between 2008 and 2012, she served as a search-and-rescue pilot. Later, she worked as an experimental test pilot and accumulated over 3,000 flight hours on 22 different helicopter types.
In November 2022, Sophie was selected as an astronaut candidate by the European Space Agency (ESA). She is the first member of ESA’s 2022 career astronaut class to fly into space and the second French woman to visit the International Space Station.
Andrey Fedyaev is the second Mission Specialist. Selected as a cosmonaut by Roscosmos in 2012, Crew-12 marks his second spaceflight following Crew-6, making him the first cosmonaut to fly twice aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Fedyaev is an engineer specializing in air traffic control and transportation within the field of anti-submarine aviation. He is also a military pilot with over 600 flight hours.
His presence onboard a SpaceX spacecraft is part of the Soyuz-Dragon exchange system aimed at maintaining at least one NASA Astronaut and one Roscosmos Cosmonaut on each of the crew rotation missions.
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Change of crew
According to multiple media reports, Cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev joined the main crew after Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was removed from the mission.
According to the Russian media outlet The Insider, Artemyev was removed for allegedly taking photos of sensitive SpaceX hardware, technical documentation, and rocket engines with his phone during training at a SpaceX facility in California, potentially violating U.S. export control regulations.
In response, Roscosmos stated that Artemyev’s replacement “was made in connection with his transfer to another job”.
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Εpsilon mission
Sophie’s first spaceflight is named εpsilon (Epsilon); the name reflects the power of small, yet impactful contributions and how multiple parts unite to create a whole.
In mathematics, “ε” represents something small. In the extensive collaborative effort of space exploration, involving thousands of participants, all roles, including the astronaut’s role, stay small yet meaningful.
During her εpsilon mission, Sophie Adenot will perform numerous scientific experiments, many of them European, conduct medical research, support Earth observation, and contribute to operations and maintenance aboard the International Space Station.
She will also carry out educational activities part of the “ChlorISS” initiative, involving thousands of students from France.
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