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.
A Wednesday launch attempt for NASA’s Crew-12 mission has been scrubbed due to unfavorable weather along the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon spacecraft’s flight path, pushing the next opportunity to no earlier than 5:38 AM ET on Thursday, Feb. 12th.
Following a weather review Monday, mission teams opted to stand down from the February 11 window. Conditions along the trajectory remain a concern for the new target date, though forecasters expect improvement heading into a backup window on Friday, February 13th.
The four-person crew — NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev — continues pre-flight quarantine at Kennedy Space Center as they await their ride to the International Space Station.
Go for Launch • Cape Canaveral SFS, FL • SLC-40
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission | Crew-12 (crewed Dragon mission to the ISS for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program) |
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 02/12/2026 5:38:00 AM (ET) |
| Window Closes | Thursday, 02/12/2026 5:38:00 AM (ET) |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Mission Description | SpaceX Crew-12 is the twelfth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. |
| Countdown (to window open) | — |
The mission will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. If the Thursday window holds, the crew would dock with the station around 10:30 AM ET on Friday.
With NASA’s announcement that Crew 12 would now target Thursday, February 12, a potential range conflict comes into focus: United Launch Alliance and the US Space Force plan to launch Vulcan on a national security mission at roughly the same time on Thursday.
Go for Launch • Cape Canaveral SFS, FL • SLC-41
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission | USSF-87 (two GSSAP space situational awareness satellites to near-geosynchronous orbit) |
| Organization | United Launch Alliance |
| Rocket | Vulcan VC4S |
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 02/12/2026 3:00:00 AM (ET) |
| Window Closes | Thursday, 02/12/2026 7:50:00 AM (ET) |
| Destination | Geostationary Orbit |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Mission Description | USSF-87 will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites, GSSAP-7 and GSSAP-8, directly to a near-geosynchronous orbit approximately 36,000 km above the equator. Data from GSSAP will contribute to timely and accurate orbital predictions, improving spaceflight safety and satellite collision avoidance. |
| Countdown (to window open) | — |
Given NASA’s announcement, one must wonder if the date for USSF-87 will change, or if ULA and the Space Force will stand pat, expecting a second change to Crew 12.
Stay tuned.
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.
After several delays, Axiom 4 is on its way to the International Space Station. The corporate mission, commanded by NASA veteran Peggy Whitson, lifted off at 2:31 AM Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon.
In addition to Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, an officer in the Indian Air Force and astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists include Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) representing Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Notably, this mission marks the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary will visit the ISS, representing each nation’s first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over 40 years.
After a nominal ascent, Booster B1094 returned to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s LZ-1 about secen minutes and thirty nine seconds from liftoff. A few seconds later, Falcon 9’s second stage and Crew Dragon were reaching their initial orbit, which will be modified later as Axiom 4 begins chasing down ISS in earnest.
Docking is expected Thursday morning, around 7:00 AM ET.
After docking with Station, Axiom 4’s crew will begin a two-week stay aboard ISS, where they will conduct a number of experiments on behalf of their respective space agencies.
Ax-4 will be a busy mission, as it is slated to conduct approximately 60 scientific experiments and activities involving participants from 31 nations, such as the United States, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and various European countries. This marks the highest number of research initiatives undertaken on an Axiom Space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) thus far, highlighting the mission’s global importance and collaborative spirit in advancing microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
The mission places a particular emphasis on scientific endeavors led by the countries represented in the Ax-4 crew, including the United States, India, Poland (in collaboration with the European Space Agency), and Hungary. The research conducted will enhance global understanding in areas such as human health, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, reflecting the space research capabilities of the crew’s home countries.
Axiom Space is also collaborating with research organizations and academic institutions to further investigate the effects of spaceflight on the human body and to explore how space-based research can lead to improvements in health and medical treatments on Earth. The mission underscores the significance of commercial and academic partnerships, as Axiom Space spearheads the development of a global research community and a sustainable economic ecosystem in LEO. The mission also sets the stage for Axiom Station, the first commercial space station, which will provide a permanent platform for research, manufacturing, and human spaceflight.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that former Paralympian and surgeon Dr. John McFall has been medically certified to undertake a long-duration space mission.
McFall, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19, was selected in 2022 to participate in ESA’s Fly! Feasibility study, which explored the challenges of sending an astronaut with a disability to the International Space Station (ISS). The study concluded in late 2024, and successfully demonstrated that it is technically feasible for an astronaut with a physical disability, such as McFall’s, to complete a six-month mission aboard the ISS as a fully integrated crew member.
With the feasibility study now complete, ESA is moving into the next phase of the program: Fly! Mission Ready, paving the way for McFall’s potential journey to space. He has not been assigned any mission at this point in time.
McFall said in a recent ESA press release, “It’s great that we can say after a huge amount of work in the last 18 months that we have demonstrated that it’s technically possible for someone with a disability like mine to fly on a long duration mission. And now we’re progressing to the next phase and what we want to do is realise that opportunity to fly, so moving forward, we’re moving into the Mission Ready phase.”
In 2014, Dr. McFall graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the Cardiff University School of Medicine, UK. He later became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2016. McFall is currently taking part in ESA Astronaut Reserve training at the European Astronaut Centre in Germany.
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“It is fantastic to see that John and the team at ESA have proved it is technically possible for someone with a physical disability like his to live and work on the International Space Station,” said Liz Johns, Interim Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency.
Ever the masters of threading the weather needle, SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 on its way to orbit and the Hera probe on its way to the Didymos binary asteroid system impacted by NASA’s DART probe on September 26, 2022. Hera will return to the system for further investigations, including deploying two small landers.
Ever the masters of threading the weather needle, SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 on its way to orbit and the Hera probe on its way to the Didymos binary asteroid system that was impacted by NASA’s DART probe on September 26, 2022.
Today’s flight was the first Falcon 9 to fly since the Crew 9 second-stage anomaly. The flight was licensed by the FAA because the second stage is not planned to reenter Earth’s atmosphere, making the question of public safety moot.
Rain threatened to interfere with the planned launch all morning, with steady rains falling and steely gray overcast skies in the Space Coast region. With only twenty-odd minutes to liftoff, a misty drizzle fell in the region of Space Launch Complex 40. Skies lifted just in time, however, allowing SpaceX to once again beat the weather odds on a day where it looked like that was the least likely outcome.
Perhaps Jessica Jensen, Vice President, Customer Operations and Integration of SpaceX put it best when she said on X.com that “SpaceX has a motto to “never give up a day” no matter how many constraints are against us.” They didn’t, and the launch went right on schedule.
Liftoff and ascent appeared to be nominal throughout, with Falcon 9 entering the clouds only seconds after launching. Booster B1061 completed its 23rd and final mission successfully, and the second stage of Falcon 9 appeared to be nominal throughout. A little more than one hour and fifteen minutes after launching, SpaceX completed their portion of this mission successfully when the Hera probe was deployed.
NASA and SpaceX have moved the launch of Falcon Heavy and the Europa Clipper mission from October 10 to NET Saturday, October 12th at 12:19 PM due to Hurricane Milton, which is expected to pass over the Space Coast region Wednesday night going into Thursday.
SpaceX and the European Space Agency are planning to launch ESA’s Hera probe from Space Launch Complex 40 on Monday, October 7th. The launch window extends from 10:52 AM – 11:27 AM EDT.
The flight will mark the return to flight for Falcon family rockets after the September 28, 2024 launch of Crew 9 from Cape Canaveral, but according to the FAA it is for the Hera After launching NASA’s Crew 9 mission with Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA Astronaut Nick Hague aboard Crew Dragon on their mission to the International Space Station, the second stage of Falcon 9 separated from the capsule and was later commanded to fire its engine one last time in order for it to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.
A specific area in the Pacific Ocean was targeted so as to minimize any risk of surviving debris causing injuries or property damage. The second stage’s final burn was “off-nominal,” according to SpaceX, and the stage re-entered outside of its designated area. SpaceX immediately announced it was “pausing” Falcon 9 flights while it investigated the matter and two days later, the FAA announced that it was requiring a formal investigation into the incident.
That investigation put the Monday, October 7 target date for Hera’s launch in doubt, but SpaceX has been given a special exemption for the Hera flight because the second stage will not be re-entering Earth orbit:
Assuming a successful LRR (Launch Readiness Review), Falcon 9 will again soar over Florida skies tomorrow morning.
According to ESA, “Hera is a planetary defence mission under development at the European Space Agency. Its objectives are to investigate the Didymos binary asteroid, including the very first assessment of its internal properties, and to measure in great detail the outcome of NASA’s DART mission kinetic impactor test. Hera will provide extremely valuable information for future asteroid deflection missions and science; increasing our understanding of asteroid geophysics as well as solar system formation and evolutionary processes.”
ESA: Hera Mission page
The L-1 Forecast from the 45th Weather Squadron of the Launch Delta 45 command of the US Space Force is not optimistic for a the next three days:
And after that, things will only get worse as a tropical system approaches the area midweek.
We will update this article with the official POV forecasts from the 45th Weather Squadron are updated.
Eastward towards an equatorial orbit.
SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream
SpaceX will have a live stream of the launch on its website. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about fifteen minutes before liftoff.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.
Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
Since the launch is during the morning, a lot of options are available for spectators: Jetty Park, the Banana River Bridge on FL 528 W or the southern Titusville parks on Washington Avenue / US-1 are your best bets.
Cocoa Beach will have great views of the launch once it clears any obstructions from the rising rocket and a viewer’s location.
Playalinda Beach is several miles north of the launch pad, but ignition and of course the flight of the rocket are visible from that location. If you go, go early in case the crowds are heavy.
This flight is one where the booster will be expended after its duty cycle. This is being done in order to get the maximum performance possible out of the launch vehicle. That in mind, there will be no sonic boom in the Space Coast region for a returning booster.
On a somewhat unexpectedly cool, brisk evening on the Space Coast with passing showers in Titusville and other locations nearby Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX launched two navigation satellites for the European Space Agency. Liftoff was at 08:34 PM EDT from Pad LC-39A at KSC. Liftoff and ascent to orbit was successful.
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