SpaceX launched Falcon 9 early this morning, sending four astronauts on NASA’s Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred at 5:15 AM ET, with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev aboard Crew Dragon capsule ‘Freedom.’
SpaceX and NASA have pushed back the launch of its Crew-12 mission for the second time this week, citing weather concerns along the ascent corridor the rocket will follow on its path to orbit.
The three astronauts and one cosmonaut on NASA’s Crew 12 flight to the International Space Station have entered quarantine in preparation for their upcoming launch in about two weeks. This is a normal step in the launch campaign, and is designed to reduce the chances of communicable diseases affecting the Crew 12 flyers as well as others already aboard ISS.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev will remain in Houston until February 6th, when they are expected to fly to Kennedy Space Center for final launch preparations.
NASA has also announced launch windows for Crew 12:
| SpaceX Crew-12 Launch Windows | |
|---|---|
| Mission | NASA/SpaceX Crew-12 |
| Destination | International Space Station |
| Launch Site | SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station |
| Window 1 | Feb. 11 — 6:00 a.m. EST |
| Window 2 | Feb. 12 — 5:38 a.m. EST |
| Window 3 | Feb. 13 — 5:15 a.m. EST |
| Note | NASA continues working toward potential launch windows for both Artemis II and Crew-12 in February. Final launch dates will be determined closer to flight. |
The launch will be the second crewed flight from SLC-40. Crew 9, carrying Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, lifted off from the site on September 28, 2024, marking the second crewed launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station since Apollo 7 launched from LC-34. The ill-fated Boeing Crewed Flight Test (CFT) aboard Starliner was the first. The two CFT astronauts already aboard ISS, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, became part of Crew 9 once it was at ISS.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four-person Crew-11 team touched down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego early Thursday, wrapping up a mission that lasted just over five months aboard the International Space Station.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov splashed down at 12:41 AM PT. SpaceX recovery crews pulled the spacecraft and astronauts from the water shortly after.
The crew came home roughly three weeks ahead of schedule due to an undisclosed medical issue affecting one of the four. Citing privacy, NASA has declined to identify which crew member is involved but confirmed the individual remains in stable condition. All four astronauts were transported to a local hospital for evaluation following splashdown—a precautionary measure to take advantage of medical resources on the ground. Presumably, the crew member with the medical issue can now begin treatment.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our astronauts and the teams on the ground at NASA, SpaceX, and across our international partnerships,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement. “Their professionalism and focus kept the mission on track, even with an adjusted timeline.”
The crew launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on August 1, 2025, and docked to the station about 15 hours later. Over the course of 167 days in orbit, they circled Earth more than 2,670 times and racked up nearly 71 million miles.
Crew-11 conducted more than 140 experiments during their stay and marked the 25th anniversary of continuous human presence aboard the ISS on November 2. The mission was Fincke’s fourth trip to space, bringing his career total to 549 days—fourth-highest among all NASA astronauts. For Cardman and Platonov, it was their first spaceflight.
After a planned overnight hospital stay, all four crew members will head to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for standard postflight medical checks and reconditioning.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting Wednesday, January 14, at 5:00 PM EST for the undocking of Dragon Endeavour from the International Space Station, beginning the first medical evacuation in the orbiting laboratory’s 25-year history. If weather and all other factors are acceptable, the four-person Crew-11 team is expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego, California, at approximately 3:40 AM ET on Thursday, January 15.
NASA has published the following schedule for Crew-11’s departure:
| Time (EST) | Event |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, January 14 | |
| 3:00 PM | Hatch closure coverage begins |
| 3:30 PM | Hatch closing |
| 4:45 PM | Undocking coverage begins |
| 5:00 PM | Undocking |
| Thursday, January 15 | |
| 2:15 AM | Reentry coverage begins |
| 2:50 AM | Deorbit burn |
| 3:40 AM | Splashdown |
| 5:45 AM | Post-return media conference |
The roughly 11-hour journey from undocking to splashdown follows standard Crew Dragon procedures. Mission managers continue monitoring weather and sea states in the Pacific Ocean recovery zone, and the precise splashdown location will be confirmed closer to undocking.
NASA officials have repeatedly emphasized this is a “controlled medical evacuation” rather than an emergency return. In true emergencies, Dragon can bring crew home within hours, but the agency opted for standard departure procedures to minimize risk.
“Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority,” NASA stated. “These are the situations NASA and our partners train for and prepare to execute safely.”
The affected crew member remains stable. NASA has declined to identify which of the four astronauts is experiencing the medical concern, citing privacy policies. The issue first came to light on January 7 when JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui requested a private medical conference with flight surgeons.
As many of you have heard, our crew will be coming home just a few weeks earlier than planned due to an unexpected medical issue. First and foremost, we are all OK. Everyone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for. This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists. It’s the right call, even if it’s a bit bittersweet.
This photo was taken as we prepared our space suits for return—a normal, methodical step in getting ready to come home, and a reminder that this decision was made calmly and carefully, with people at the center.
What stands out most to me is how clearly NASA cares about its people. Flight surgeons, engineers, managers, and support teams came together quickly and professionally to chart the best path forward. The ground teams—across mission control centers and partner organizations around the world—have been extraordinary.
We’re proud of the joint work we’ve done and the camaraderie we’ve shared, including some great songs and more than a few dad jokes. It has been a privilege to serve aboard the International Space Station—an extraordinary orbiting laboratory and a symbol of what nations can achieve together. Living and working here with our international partners has been both humbling and deeply rewarding.
This moment also highlights the strength of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and our partnership with SpaceX. Dragon provides a safe, reliable, and flexible capability to bring us home on short notice when it’s the right thing to do.
We’re leaving the ISS in great hands. The three crewmates who arrived in November will continue the mission, and they’ll be joined by Crew-12 in just a few weeks. Explore 74!
We’re grateful for the teamwork, proud of the mission, and looking forward to coming home soon—back to our loved ones and to resolving any medical questions with the best care available.
— Ad Astra per Aspera!
NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke, January 11, 2026
Interestingly, Mike Finke gave the update outside of NASA’s official media channels, instead, he posted it to his LinkedIn page. That’s not to say that NASA did not know and approve of what Finke had to say, just that he made it a personal statement from a personal channel.
The Crew-11 astronauts have spent recent days preparing for departure. A key step involves fit-checking their Dragon pressure suits—necessary because the spine lengthens and body fluids shift toward the head in microgravity, affecting torso and limb dimensions. The crew also tested suit audio and video communication systems.
Commander Zena Cardman drained water from two NASA spacesuits aboard the station—the same suits that would have been used for the January 8 spacewalk that was cancelled when the medical situation arose. Yui and Platonov continued research activities, with Platonov studying blood vessel function in microgravity and methods for preventing blood clots during spaceflight.
When Endeavour undocks, the International Space Station will be left with only three crew members—the smallest complement in years:
The trio arrived November 27, 2025, aboard Soyuz MS-28 and will remain aboard until July 2026. Williams will serve as the sole American operator for NASA’s systems and science experiments until Crew-12 arrives.
NASA and Roscosmos intentionally place astronauts on different spacecraft precisely for situations like this. The U.S. and Russian segments of the station are interdependent, requiring at least one person from each country to keep operations running.
“This is one of the reasons why we fly mixed crews on Soyuz and US vehicles,” said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya in a NASA press conference last Friday. “We want to make sure we have operators for both segments.”
NASA is assessing whether to accelerate the Crew-12 launch, currently targeting no earlier than February 15. The Crew-12 team includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has indicated the agency is comfortable with the gap in crew size. The station has operated with skeleton crews before—as few as two people remained aboard following the Columbia tragedy in 2003.
Asked whether an accelerated Crew-12 launch could impact Artemis II preparations at Kennedy Space Center, Isaacman was direct: “These would be totally separate campaigns at this point.” NASA’s crewed lunar mission remains on track for its February launch window.
While unprecedented for the International Space Station, medical evacuations from orbit have occurred before. In November 1985, Soviet Salyut 7 commander Vladimir Vasyutin became seriously ill after two months in space and returned early with his crewmates.
Afterward, Cosmonaut Viktor Savinykh published a diary detailing the difficult situation. Like NASA today, Soviet officials declined to identify the specific medical problem for privacy reasons, though it is generally believed to have been a prostate infection.
The Crew-11 return demonstrates the value of having crew return vehicles permanently docked at the station. Dragon Endeavour has been attached to the Harmony module’s zenith port since August 2025, ready for exactly this contingency.
NASA coverage of undocking and splashdown will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Following crew recovery, a media conference is scheduled for 5:45 AM EST on January 15.
The return will mark the end of Crew-11’s mission approximately three weeks ahead of schedule. Upon splashdown, the affected crew member will receive appropriate medical evaluation and care—the primary goal that prompted NASA’s decision to bring the team home early.
SpaceX, NASA and the Crew 11 astronauts beat the clouds and rain showers today, but just barely. With dark skies and rain rapidly advancing from the south, liftoff of SpaceX’s 18th crewed flight was at 11:43 AM ET from Launch Complex 39A from Kennedy Space Center. Crew 11’s four astronauts are now on their way the International Space Station, with an expected arrival time at the orbital outpost around 3AM ET tomorrow, August 2.
The countdown today was a near carbon copy of yesterday’s: picture perfect with few if any issues until the last half hour. At that time, with afternoon temperatures rising into what is best called “miserable”, coastal winds started to rise up in the atmosphere, creating clouds that would grow into rain showers and later, thunderstorms. Yesterday, the clouds were too close to LC-39A and caused a launch scrub because of a weather violation. Today, with a Phase 1 lightning issued only minutes before, the burgeoning showers stayed just far enough away to allow the countdown to proceed and liftoff to occur on schedule.
Later, when Booster 1094 returned to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station rather quietly — from the vantage of the KSC Press Site, the descending booster was hidden in the clouds until the very last, appearing only a second or two before it’s final landing burn began. The normal sonic boom was muted too, and was nowhere near as loud as normal. Today’s landing marks the last at Landing Zone 1 as SpaceX prepares to move Falcon 9 landing operations to a new area nearly adjacent to Space Launch Complex 40.
Meanwhile, the second stage and astronauts aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour continued on their way to orbit, which they achieved at the T+ 00:08:46 mark. At T+ 09:36, Crew Dragon separated from Falcon 9’s second stage.
Now in orbit, Crew 11 will begin chasing down ISS in earnest, with an expected arrival time around 3 AM ET on August 2nd.
After docking, the station’s total crew will climb to 11 for a brief period as they join current occupants: NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim; JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi; and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky.
Crew-10, the previous NASA-SpaceX mission, will remain aboard for a short handover after Crew-11 arrives, then return to Earth. Before their departure, mission teams will monitor weather conditions at designated splashdown zones off the California coast to ensure a safe landing.
Crew-11’s mission focuses heavily on scientific research supporting long-duration human spaceflight and applications on Earth. Their work includes simulating lunar landings, studying how to protect astronauts’ vision in space, and advancing human spaceflight research through NASA’s Human Research Program. Additional experiments will explore plant cell division, the impact of microgravity on virus-bacteria interactions, and methods to produce more human stem cells and generate nutrients on demand.
NASA and SpaceX have moved up the launch of Crew 10 to the International Space Station to no earlier than March 12, 2025. The date is dependent on crew and spacecraft’s mission readiness and completion of the agency’s certification of flight readiness process. Following several days of handoff, Crew 9 astronauts will depart ISS and return to Earth.
NASA has announced an earlier launch opportunity for the Crew-10 mission following a decision to modify its original plan. Instead of using a new Dragon spacecraft—which requires additional processing time—the mission will now fly with Endurance, a previously flown Dragon capsule.
Teams are currently conducting thorough assessments of Endurance’s hardware to ensure it meets NASA’s Commercial Crew Program safety and certification requirements. Preparations are underway to refurbish the spacecraft, including installing its trunk, loading propellant, and transporting it to SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There, it will be integrated with the Falcon 9 rocket ahead of launch.
This marks Endurance’s fourth mission to the International Space Station, having previously supported Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7.
Once Crew-10 arrives at the ISS, they will undergo a handover period with the Crew-9 team, who will guide them through ongoing scientific research and station maintenance tasks. This transition ensures a smooth exchange of responsibilities and enhances safety aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Following the completion of the handover, NASA and SpaceX will begin preparations for the return of Crew-9 to Earth. NASA astronaut Nick Hague, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will depart the ISS aboard Crew Dragon.
They will be joined by the former Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. The pair joined Expedition 71/72 after NASA decided to return the Starliner capsule uncrewed after several problems with that spacecraft.
NASA’s Commercial Crew office released its high-level plan for 2025 today. It has few surprises, with two SpaceX Commercial Crew missions, and offers the slightest of updates for Boeing’s Starliner program and holds out the possibility of a Starliner flight next year.
Crew-10
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is scheduled for February 2025.
NASA Astronaut Anne McClain will be the mission commander, NASA Astronaut Nichole Ayers will be the pilot mission specialists JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will be the mission specialists. This mission will be the second spaceflight for McClain and Onishi, and the first for Ayers and Peskov.
Crew-11
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 is targeted for no earlier than July of next year, but that may be adjusted because of operational needs — resupply missions on docking ports, etc. NASA will announce the four-person crew at a later date.
There is speculation that the two members of Crew-9 who were taken off the flight to accommodate Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight Test astronauts will be assigned to this flight, but at this point in time, that is just rumor and has no basis in official facts released by the agency.
Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman were deep into the training cycle for the Crew-9, which presumably gives them a headstart. Still, ultimately, Chief of the Astronaut Office Joe Acaba and other NASA officials will make the call. When that information will be released to the public is unknown.
Here is where today’s release gets really interesting: NASA says that, “The timing and configuration of Starliner’s next flight will be determined once a better understanding of Boeing’s path to system certification is established. This determination will include considerations for incorporating Crew Flight Test lessons learned, approvals of final certification products, and operational readiness.”
“Meanwhile, NASA is keeping options on the table for how best to achieve system certification, including windows of opportunity for a potential Starliner flight in 2025.”
To fly in 2025, Boeing and its contractors will need to fix the issues that dogged the Crewed Flight Test this year, namely overheating thrusters, helium leaks, and potentially degraded seals (this was seen in ground testing during the investigations of Starliner CFT).
To do that, Boeing and NASA engineers must finalize their data analyses if they still need to do so. From there, Boeing and its subcontractors can begin designing and fabricating any hardware changes and qualifying those for human spaceflight. Externally, Boeing seems optimistic that they can do those things in 2025. Whether that happens remains to be seen, given that aerospace projects are often delayed.
SpaceX successfully launched the Crew 9 mission Saturday, November 28, 2024 from Space Launch Complex 40 in the first crewed launch from that storied pad. Liftoff was at 01:17 PM EDT under broken skies and a building threat of storms.
By Mark Stone, FMN
In the early hours of Sunday morning, SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew successfully completed their five-day journey in space, capping off the historic mission with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The Crew Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, landed off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida, at 3:37 a.m. ET, marking the conclusion of a mission that included the world’s first commercial spacewalk.
“We’ve made history, and this is only the beginning of what’s possible with private space exploration,” said mission commander Jared Isaacman, the billionaire CEO of Shift4 Payments and key financier behind Polaris Dawn.
The mission achieved several significant milestones, including reaching the highest altitude for human spaceflight in over five decades. The crew orbited Earth at an apogee of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), surpassing the 1966 altitude record set by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission. This achievement also marked the farthest distance from Earth that humans have traveled since the Apollo program ended in 1972.
For crew members Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, SpaceX engineers who served as mission specialists, the mission was particularly groundbreaking. The high altitude made them the first women to travel so far from Earth. “It was an honor to be part of this mission, to push the boundaries of human space exploration,” said Gillis.
Despite several major accomplishments during the mission, as always, returning to Earth presented one of its most dangerous challenges. To safely re-enter the atmosphere, the Crew Dragon performed a “de-orbit burn,” orienting itself for the high-speed descent back to Earth. As the spacecraft hit the atmosphere at speeds of 17,000 miles per hour (27,000 kilometers per hour), it endured temperatures as high as 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,900 degrees Celsius), protected by its heat shield.
Slowing down from the friction of the atmosphere, the capsule deployed its parachutes, which further decelerated its descent before it gently splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. “Welcome back to planet Earth,” the host of SpaceX’s live broadcast exclaimed as cheers erupted in the background.
After splashdown, the capsule briefly bobbed in the water before being retrieved by a SpaceX recovery team stationed nearby. The team hauled the spacecraft onto a boat known as the “Dragon’s Nest,” where the astronauts disembarked after final safety checks. All four crew members, including pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, emerged smiling and in good health.
Last Thursday, Polaris Dawn added another historic first by completing the world’s first commercial spacewalk, also known as an extravehicular activity (EVA). Isaacman and Gillis took turns exiting the spacecraft while it was fully depressurized, marking a new era in privately funded space operations.
Floating just outside the Crew Dragon capsule for roughly 10 minutes each, Isaacman and Gillis tested the functionality of SpaceX’s custom-designed EVA suits, which are engineered to protect astronauts from the harsh conditions of space. “Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman mused as he took in the breathtaking view during his spacewalk.
The EVA was conducted as part of the mission’s broader goal to test technologies that will be crucial for future deep-space missions, including flights to the Moon and Mars. Despite the high risks involved, the spacewalk was completed without any major issues, a success that SpaceX hailed as a significant step forward for commercial space operations.
In addition to making history, the Polaris Dawn mission focused heavily on scientific research. The crew conducted nearly 40 experiments during their five days in orbit, with a particular emphasis on understanding space adaptation syndrome, a form of motion sickness that occurs in microgravity. The research conducted on this mission is expected to contribute valuable insights into the long-term health of astronauts during future deep-space voyages.
Sarah Gillis, a trained violinist, also brought her violin onboard and performed Rey’s Theme from Star Wars: The Force Awakens in a symbolic test of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, which successfully transmitted the music back to Earth. Meanwhile, Menon read from her co-authored children’s book Kisses From Space during a special video call with patients from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in an effort to raise awareness and support for the hospital.
The mission also tested SpaceX’s next-generation spacesuits, which are designed to offer enhanced protection against the rigors of space, including radiation and extreme temperatures. “These spacesuits will play a vital role in future missions, especially as we prepare for long-term exploration beyond low-Earth orbit,” Menon explained.
The Dragon capsule used for Polaris Dawn, named Resilience, has a storied past. It first flew in 2020 for NASA’s Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station and later in 2021 for the Inspiration4 mission, also led by Isaacman. This marked the third trip to space for Resilience, which continues to demonstrate SpaceX’s commitment to reusability in spacecraft design.
Looking ahead, Isaacman has plans for even more ambitious missions. Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned flights in cooperation with SpaceX, with the next slated to involve a flight to the Hubble Space Telescope to extend its operational life. A third mission is expected to be the first crewed flight of SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket.
“This mission is just the beginning of what we can achieve in the future,” Isaacman said. “There’s so much more ahead as we continue to push the boundaries of human spaceflight.”
As SpaceX continues to set new milestones in commercial space exploration, the successful splashdown of Polaris Dawn is yet another reminder of the potential for privately funded missions to lead the charge in the next frontier of human exploration.
Note: this article originally published by Mark Stone of Florida Media Now. It is shared here by permission.
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