Under the pale glow of a waning crescent moon on the morning of February 13, 2026, the Space Coast once again found itself at the center of the world’s attention. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, a collaboration involving American, European, and Russian astronauts, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 40 at precisely 5:15 a.m. The mission, the first human spaceflight from the region this year, marked a milestone in international cooperation and commercial spaceflight, while also delivering a few moments of awe for those lucky enough to witness it in person.
The crew for this ambitious journey comprised NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, serving as commander, and Jack Hathaway, the mission’s pilot. They were joined by European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, both mission specialists. According to Florida Today, Meir and Fedyaev are both veterans of spaceflight, while Hathaway and Adenot made their maiden voyages beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Preparations for the launch began hours before dawn. The four astronauts, clad in custom-fitted SpaceX suits, left NASA’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center, waving to a handful of well-wishers as their police-escorted Tesla caravan passed the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. The mood was both electric and reflective. As Florida Today reported, the crew underwent a series of prelaunch procedures, including communication checks and seat adjustments, before entering the Dragon Freedom spacecraft and signing their names on the White Room wall—a tradition marking the gravity of the moment.
Weather, always a wildcard for launches, was on the crew’s side. The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron initially predicted a 90% chance of favorable conditions, later raising it to 95%. Although isolated showers over the Atlantic posed a slight threat, they ultimately had no impact on the countdown. The rocket’s fueling process proceeded smoothly, with both rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen being loaded into the Falcon 9’s first and second stages. With the countdown clock ticking, the Dragon spacecraft transitioned to internal power five minutes before liftoff, and final checks were made.
At the scheduled time, the Falcon 9’s engines ignited, consuming roughly 1 million pounds of propellant in a three-minute burst that propelled the crew toward orbit. As the rocket soared into the sky, its plume created a spectacular orange-and-blue display, described by onlookers as reminiscent of a jellyfish drifting across the predawn Florida sky—a sight visible across much of Central Florida, according to Florida Today and Orlando Sentinel.
Minutes later, the first-stage booster separated and executed a dramatic return to SpaceX’s new circular landing pad at Launch Complex 40, just 1,000 feet from the launch tower. The landing, completed about eight minutes after liftoff, produced a pair of deafening sonic booms that rattled windows and eardrums across Brevard and neighboring counties. The echoes, bouncing off the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, created a soundscape that one witness compared to bottle rockets. SpaceX had issued advisories in advance, warning residents in nine Florida counties about the potential for sonic booms depending on weather and other conditions.
Inside the spacecraft, the mood was jubilant. “Nominal insertion. Wonderful ride,” Jessica Meir radioed back to mission control after reaching orbit. The SpaceX launch director replied, “It turns out Friday the 13th is a very lucky day. Good luck and godspeed to the crew of Freedom.” Meir later shared a more contemplative message from orbit: “We have left the Earth but the Earth has not left us. We see the thin, tenuous band of an atmosphere solely responsible for supporting all life on this planet and we know that it is utterly unique, fragile and must be protected.”
The Crew-12 mission is scheduled for an eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), with the Dragon Freedom spacecraft due to autonomously dock with the station’s Harmony module at around 3:15 p.m. on February 14. Once aboard, the quartet will join three current ISS residents, bringing the station’s crew complement back up to seven. The previous crew, Crew-11, had departed after one of its members suffered a health incident.
For Meir and Fedyaev, the mission is a return to familiar territory. Meir, a marine biologist from Maine, reflected on her first flight and revealed a personal goal for this journey: “I was extremely fortunate on my first flight, and I got to do pretty much everything: spacewalks, robotic arm captures, so many different types of scientific experiments. But the one thing I think, because we were so busy, there was a goal that I had of spending an entire orbit, so a whole 90 minutes in the cupola, and being around in that one spot, looking down all the way around the Earth. I actually never had time. I had this agenda. I really wanted to do it, and I never found a chance to do it. So that’s definitely high up on my list.”
For Hathaway and Adenot, the mission represents a chance to be part of something historic, especially with the ISS set for decommissioning by 2030. Hathaway said, “This may be my last opportunity to go to the space station. I’m more excited about being part of the group, part of a group of people that passes it on from group to group to group. Maybe I’ll get to go again, maybe not. Maybe I’ll do something else, or not. I don’t know the future … but we know right now, we’re part of something special.” Adenot echoed this sentiment, calling the station “a symbol of what humanity can achieve when nations work together.” She added, “It’s been 25 years of continuous presence. So we received a legacy from people who built this, flown this, and operated this. We just want to be one passing relay to the future generations, whatever happens in the future. So come what may.”
The Crew-12 mission is the 12th operational crew rotation flight for SpaceX for NASA, and the 17th overall Dragon mission with crew to visit the station since 2020, including commercial flights for Axiom Space and independent orbital missions like Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, himself a veteran of private spaceflight, underscored the agency’s commitment to maximizing the ISS’s remaining years. “The idea is to get the highest potential science and research up there to unlock and ignite an orbital economy so that someday we have lots of commercially operated space stations in low-Earth orbit,” Isaacman told Florida Today. He also noted that the ISS will continue to serve as a proving ground for technologies destined for lunar and Martian missions.
Looking ahead, NASA announced a partnership with the company Vast for a private astronaut mission to the ISS, targeting launch no earlier than summer 2027. This mission will see four private astronauts undergo training for a 14-day stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, further cementing the role of commercial partners in America’s space program. “Private astronaut missions represent more than access to the International Space Station — they create opportunities for new ideas, companies, and capabilities that further enhance American leadership in low Earth orbit and open doors for what’s next,” Isaacman said in a press release.
As the sun rose over Cape Canaveral, the echoes of the Falcon 9’s sonic booms faded and the astronauts settled in for their long journey. For the Space Coast, for NASA, and for the world, Crew-12’s successful launch is a testament to the enduring power of collaboration, innovation, and the unyielding human desire to explore.