A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying four international astronauts, successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, February 14, 2026. The Crew-12 mission delivered two NASA astronauts, one European Space Agency astronaut, and one Roscosmos cosmonaut to the orbiting laboratory. This arrival restores the ISS to its full complement of seven crew members after an unexpected early return of the previous mission.^[1][2][3][4] ### New Crew Arrives After Urgent Launch The Crew-12 mission launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 5:15 a.m. EST (10:15 UTC).^[1][5][2][6] The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom, then spent approximately 34 hours in transit before autonomously linking up with the Harmony module's space-facing port on the ISS at 3:15 p.m. EST (20:15 UTC) on Saturday.^[1][7][8][3] This marks the 12th operational human spaceflight mission for SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.^[1][9][2] The rapid launch schedule for Crew-12 followed the early return of the Crew-11 mission in January due to a medical issue affecting one of its crew members.^[1][8][2][4] NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted the mission showed "what it means to be mission-focused at NASA" by bringing Crew-11 home early and advancing the Crew-12 launch.^[8] The station had been operating with a reduced staff of three astronauts since January 15, well below its typical seven-person crew.^[1][2][4] ### Diverse Crew Begins Eight-Month Mission The four new residents of the International Space Station include NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway.^[1][8][5][3] They are joined by European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot from France and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev from Russia.^[1][8][5][3] This diverse crew highlights the ongoing international cooperation essential for space exploration.^[2] Sophie Adenot's assignment, known as "Epsilon," marks her first trip to space.^[1] She was selected in the 2022 ESA Astronaut Group and is the first career astronaut from that class to fly.^[1] The mission patch for Epsilon features a stylized lowercase epsilon, symbolizing a "small, yet impactful" variable in the collaborative effort of space exploration.^[1] ### Reusable Hardware and Scientific Goals The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage that propelled Crew-12 into orbit successfully landed back on Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.^[7] This reusability of launch vehicles is a cornerstone of SpaceX's operations, reducing costs for space access. The Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft itself is a veteran, having previously flown the Crew-4, Ax-2, Ax-3, and Crew-9 missions to and from the space station.^[7] During their roughly eight-month stay aboard the ISS, the Crew-12 astronauts will conduct a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations.^[2][10][4] Their research aims to prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, while also benefiting people on Earth.^[8][10][4] Experiments will include studying pneumonia-causing bacteria to improve cardiovascular treatments and testing technologies for on-demand intravenous fluid generation for future space missions.^[10] The crew will also examine how physical characteristics affect blood flow during spaceflight.^[10] Additional scientific work includes automated plant health monitoring and research into how plants interact with nitrogen-fixing microbes to enhance food production in space.^[10] These studies are critical for supporting long-duration human missions beyond low-Earth orbit.^[10][4] ### Maintaining Continuous Human Presence The docking of Crew-12 ensures the continuous human presence on the International Space Station, a crucial aspect of its operations and research capabilities. With the new arrivals, the station's crew returns to its standard number, allowing for optimal execution of experiments and maintenance tasks.^[1][2][4] The Commercial Crew Program, through its partnership with SpaceX, has fundamentally changed the logistics and economics of reaching the ISS.^[2][11] For nearly a decade after the Space Shuttle's retirement, NASA relied on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, which came at a significant cost per seat.^[2] Now, with Crew Dragon in regular service, NASA has greater flexibility and capability for crew transport.^[2][11] The Crew-12 mission will contribute valuable data and insights to the ongoing efforts of humanity to expand its reach in space. The astronauts will remain on the ISS for approximately eight months, carrying out their scientific agenda before returning to Earth.^[2][6][4]

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