SpaceX Crew-12 Astronauts Dock with Short-Staffed Space Station

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The SpaceX Crew-12 astronaut mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Valentine's Day 2026 at around 3:15 p.m. EST, ending a 36-hour orbital chase. The crew includes NASA's Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, the mission's commander and pilot, European Space Agency's Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos' Andrey Fedyaev. They will join the three-person skeleton crew already aboard the ISS.

Why it matters

The Crew-12 mission is significant as it restores the ISS to its nominal seven-person crew size after a recent medical evacuation left the station short-staffed for longer than anticipated. The arrival of the new crew will allow for increased scientific research and operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The details

The Crew-12 astronauts launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida early on February 13th. After a 36-hour orbital chase, their Crew Dragon capsule "Freedom" successfully docked with the ISS on Valentine's Day. The crew will now begin the process of entering the station, unloading cargo, and joining the three-person skeleton crew already aboard - NASA's Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.

• Crew-12 launched on February 13, 2026.
• Docking with the ISS occurred around 3:15 p.m. EST on February 14, 2026.
• The crew is expected to remain aboard the ISS through October 2026.

What’s next

The Crew-12 astronauts will begin their mission aboard the International Space Station, conducting scientific research and operations to support the orbiting laboratory.