NASA names international four-member crew for upcoming SpaceX space station mission

NASA Shares SpaceX Crew-12 Assignments for Space Station Mission presents the official crew lineup and mission plan for the next SpaceX flight to the International Space Station.

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and is scheduled to launch no earlier than Feb. 15, 2026.

Four crew members representing three international space agencies will fly to the orbiting laboratory for a long-duration expedition.

The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

Meir will be the spacecraft commander, while Hathaway will be the pilot.

Adenot and Fedyaev will be the mission specialists. After orbit, Crew 12 will be with the members of Expedition 74, the crew currently on the station. 

This marks the 12th crew rotation that has been carried out by a SpaceX vehicle under the Commercial Crew Program, which is a joint operation between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and SpaceX.

The program is designed to guarantee a continuous flow of passengers to low Earth orbit. Consequently, NASA can devote more of its time and money to its other missions.

The space station is still a very valuable resource for research that is impossible to do on Earth, and for trying out the new equipment and systems that will be needed for long stays in space.
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Mission roles, timeline, and objectives

Crew-12 will launch aboard a SpaceX spacecraft and dock with the International Space Station for a multi-month stay. The crew will integrate with Expedition 74 and support station systems, maintenance, and scheduled research activities.

As per the statement, Crew 12 will “conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as benefit people on Earth.”

The mission is part of the regular crew rotations that keep a continuous human presence in orbit. According to NASA, this flight is "the 12th crew rotation with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory, " which indicates a well-established transportation system for astronauts.

These missions enable NASA and its partners to investigate the human adaptation to prolonged stays in microgravity, along with the associated changes in health, performance, and equipment reliability.

The involvement of various nations in the space program is still the main factor of the mission. Crew 12 consists of astronauts and cosmonauts who were trained in different systems but are now working as one team.

The station is a common research platform where agencies manage their schedules and resources. As stated in the release, the station has been a support for the continuation of human presence for more than 25 years.

The information obtained throughout Crew, 12 will be used for the creation of the next missions beyond low Earth orbit and for the evolution of the commercial space sector.
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Crew backgrounds and flight experience

Jessica Meir is flying to the station for the second time. She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and previously served as a flight engineer during Expeditions 61 and 62.

While there, she orbited the Earth for 205 days and took part in the first three all-female spacewalks, which, combined, lasted 21 hours and 44 minutes, during which she was outside the station.

After that, she has been in positions that support the operation of the commercial crew and the development of the human landing system.

In 2021, Jack Hathaway was selected as an astronaut candidate. He will be going to space for the first time on board Crew 12. In the US Navy, he is a commander and has more than 2, 500 hours of flight time in 30 different aircraft to his credit.

He has also completed 39 combat missions.

Jack Hathaway was serving aboard the USS Truman when he was selected as a NASA astronaut.

Sophie Adenot will make her first spaceflight on this mission. Before joining the European Space Agency in 2022, she worked as an engineer, a helicopter pilot, and a test pilot.

She has logged more than 3,000 flight hours and has held both operational and experimental flight positions.

Andrey Fedyaev previously flew to the International Space Station as part of Crew-6. During that mission, he spent 186 days in orbit serving as a flight engineer for Expedition 69.

A statement issued by the company also points out that he was given the title Hero of the Russian Federation and was awarded the Yuri Gagarin Medal in recognition of his service.
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