SpaceX Dragon delivers new crew to International Space Station

Crew-12 astronauts from NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos join Expedition 74 aboard the orbiting laboratory

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The International Space Station is once again fully staffed with the arrival of astronauts from NASA, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos on Saturday afternoon. A SpaceX Dragon carried the four Crew-12 members, including NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, to the Harmony module of the ISS, where they joined the Expedition 74 crew already aboard.

Why it matters

The arrival of Crew-12 restores the ISS to its full staffing capacity, allowing the station to continue its critical scientific research and operations. The new crew will conduct studies on topics like the effects of space on the human body and developing methods to grow food during space missions, furthering our understanding of spaceflight and supporting future deep space exploration.

The details

Crew-12 launched from Kennedy Space Center's Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 13 and docked to the Harmony module of the ISS on February 14. After leak checks and pressurization, the hatch was opened and the new crew members entered the station, joining the Expedition 74 crew already aboard. During their eight-month mission, Crew-12 will conduct a variety of scientific studies and have several planned spacewalks.

  • Crew-12 launched from Kennedy Space Center on February 13, 2026.
  • Crew-12 docked to the ISS on February 14, 2026.
  • Crew-12 entered the ISS at 5:14 p.m. EST on February 14, 2026.

The players

Jessica Meir

NASA astronaut joining Expedition 74 on the International Space Station.

Jack Hathaway

NASA astronaut joining Expedition 74 on the International Space Station.

Sophie Adenot

ESA astronaut and first-time crew member on the International Space Station, joining Expedition 74.

Andrey Fedyaev

Roscosmos cosmonaut joining Expedition 74 on the International Space Station.

Sergey Kud-Sverchkov

Roscosmos cosmonaut and commander of Expedition 74 on the International Space Station.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We say welcome to Crew-12 today and we are happy they all arrived safe and sound.”

— Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, ISS Expedition 74 commander (UPI)

“We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. So we are very happy and proud to work as a team here.”

— Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, ISS Expedition 74 commander (UPI)

“We are excited to be here and get to work with Expedition 74.”

— Jessica Meir (UPI)

“Seeing the Earth was space was mind-blowing. It's a very big moment.”

— Sophie Adenot (UPI)

What’s next

During Crew-12's eight-month-long mission on the ISS, the crew will conduct studies on how pneumonia-causing bacteria can lead to long-term heart damage, improve on-demand IV fluid generation, and investigate automated plant health monitoring to help develop methods to grow food during space missions. The crew also has several spacewalks planned during their time on the station.

The takeaway

The arrival of Crew-12 restores the International Space Station to full staffing, allowing critical scientific research and operations to continue uninterrupted. This mission represents the ongoing international cooperation and scientific exploration that defines the ISS program, furthering our understanding of spaceflight and supporting future deep space exploration.