NASA

The launch of Artemis II is coming soon at Kennedy Space Center, and it is going to be unlike anything most people have seen in their lifetimes. The last time a crewed moon rocket launched from this pad at Kennedy was Apollo 17 in December 1972, and the Space Launch System is even more powerful than the Saturn V that carried those astronauts to the Moon. The plumes will be blinding, the sound will rattle your chest and your car windows, and the moment will be etched in your memory forever. If you are a photographer, you have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to document history.

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis I mission is the first integrated flight test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and ground systems. SLS and Orion launched at 1:47am ET from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center.
NASA/Bill Ingalls
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Boeing Starliner on its way to SLC-41, where it would be mated with at Atlas V booster in preparation for the start of its mission to the International Space Station. Photo: Charles Boyer
Boeing Starliner on its way to SLC-41, where it would be mated with at Atlas V booster in preparation for the start of its mission to the International Space Station. Photo: Charles Boyer

NASA has released a sweeping investigation report into the propulsion system failures that plagued Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner during its Crewed Flight Test (CFT) last year. The report finds a cascade of hardware failures, qualification gaps, organizational breakdowns, and a culture that prioritized schedule and provider success over engineering rigor in the program.

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Artemis II, earlier this month at Kennedy Space Center
Photo: Charles Boyer

NASA is moving ahead with a second wet dress rehearsal, or WDR-2, for the Artemis II mission. Launch controllers will take their positions in the Launch Control Center at 6:40 PM ET tonight (Feb. 17), kicking off a nearly 50-hour countdown sequence. The simulated launch window opens at 8:30 PM on February 19th and extends four hours.

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Crew 12 departing Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this morning.
Photo: Charles Boyer

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.’

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File photo of Crew 11's ascent. Photo: Charles Boyer
File photo of Crew 11’s ascent. Photo: Charles Boyer

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.

Next Launch: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew-12

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) —
As of: — (your local time)
Launch times are subject to change due to weather, range operations, and mission requirements.

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.

Range Conflict?

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.

Next Launch: Vulcan VC4S | USSF-87

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) —
As of: — (your local time)
Launch times are subject to change due to weather, range operations, and mission requirements.

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.

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