With the countdown clock ticking toward a pre-dawn liftoff, NASA and SpaceX have formally cleared the Crew-12 mission for launch — a flight that will send four astronauts to the International Space Station, including two women playing key leadership roles.
Following a comprehensive Launch Readiness Review, NASA and SpaceX unanimously agreed to proceed, contingent on favorable weather conditions along the rocket’s trajectory. Liftoff is scheduled for no earlier than 5:15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, February 13, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The crew will ride aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched by a Falcon 9 rocket.
At the forefront of the mission is NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, who will serve as mission commander. She is joined by Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency, marking two women among the four-person international team. The crew also includes NASA pilot Jack Hathaway and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Together, they are preparing for an approximately eight-month rotation aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Meir and Adenot’s presence underscores the continued international and gender-diverse collaboration aboard the ISS, with both astronauts contributing to research operations and station leadership during their extended stay.
The team has been in health stabilization quarantine at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since arriving on February 6, following standard pre-launch protocols to minimize health risks prior to docking with the station.
Weather forecasts currently show 85 percent chance of favorable conditions. Meteorologists are watching for potential cumulus cloud development, while mission managers are also tracking upper-level winds along the Atlantic flight corridor — the same concern that prompted a delay from the original February 11 launch target.
If conditions cooperate and the rocket lifts off as planned, Crew-12 is expected to reach the International Space Station at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, February 14.
The mission marks SpaceX’s twelfth routine crew rotation to the ISS and the thirteenth astronaut launch conducted under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Live launch coverage will begin at 3:15 a.m. via NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, with additional updates available across NASA’s digital platforms.
As final preparations continue along Florida’s Space Coast, attention turns to the early morning skies — and to the two women helping lead the next chapter of human spaceflight.
Source: NASA
