Crew-12 Docks with ISS: NASA & SpaceX Mission Updates | Sophie Adenot’s First Flight

The NASA and SpaceX Crew-12 mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, February 14, 2026, following a launch from Florida on Friday, February 13, 2026. The crew is replacing the previous team who returned to Earth earlier than scheduled due to a medical issue.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule made contact with the ISS at approximately 3:15 p.m. Local time (20:15 GMT) while orbiting over South Africa, roughly 34 hours after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This marks SpaceX’s 20th human spaceflight.

Crew-12 consists of Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot. The team will join Expedition 74 and 75 aboard the station for a mission expected to last approximately nine months.

This mission represents a first spaceflight for both mission specialist Sophie Adenot and pilot Jack Hathaway, both experienced test pilots. It is the second spaceflight for commander Jessica Meir and mission specialist Andrei Fedyaev. Meir is experiencing her first flight aboard the Dragon spacecraft, while Fedyaev becomes the first cosmonaut to fly twice on a SpaceX spacecraft.

Adenot named her mission “Epsilon,” referencing the power of small but impactful contributions and the way many parts come together to form a whole. During her time on the ISS, Adenot will focus on a wide range of tasks, including European-led scientific experiments, medical research, Earth observation support, and station operations and maintenance.

The Crew-12 mission utilizes the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, propelled to orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. This particular Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom, previously supported NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 and Crew-9 missions, as well as private astronaut missions Axiom Mission 2 and 3, demonstrating the reusability and versatility of SpaceX’s space transportation system.

The arrival of Crew-12 follows an unexpected early return of Crew-11 to Earth approximately a month prior. NASA made the decision to shorten their mission after a crew member experienced a medical issue that could not be diagnosed with the equipment available on the ISS. While the crew member was stable, NASA prioritized their health and safety by bringing the entire team back to Earth.

Over the course of their eight-month stay, Crew-12 will conduct a variety of scientific experiments designed to advance research and technology for future missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as provide benefits for life on Earth. These experiments include studies of pneumonia-causing bacteria to improve treatments, on-demand intravenous fluid generation for future space missions, automated plant health monitoring, investigations of plant and nitrogen-fixing microbe interactions to enhance food production in space, and research on how physical characteristics may affect blood flow during spaceflight.

Adenot is the first astronaut from the 2022 ESA astronaut class to travel to space. This class also includes Spanish astronaut Pablo Álvarez, who graduated alongside Adenot, Rosemary Coogan, Raphaël Liégeois, and Marco Sieber after successfully completing basic training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, on April 22, 2024.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted the significance of the launch, stating, “With Crew-12 safely on orbit, America and our international partners once again demonstrated the professionalism, preparation, and teamwork required for human spaceflight.” He further emphasized the importance of the research the crew will conduct, noting its contribution to deep space exploration and its potential for real-world benefits.