Crew 12: Fueling Underway for Rocket

Crew 12: Fueling Underway for Rocket

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft on top stands vertical on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 launch.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft on top stands vertical on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 launch.

Fueling of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has begun. Loading of rocket grade kerosene liquid oxygen into the rocket’s first stage is underway, and second-stage fueling will begin in a few minutes.

Once fueling is complete, the Dragon spacecraft will switch to internal power, the command flight computer will begin final prelaunch checks, propellant tanks will be pressurized to flight levels, and SpaceX launch director will verify go/no-go for launch.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

Crew 12: Access Arms Retracts

Crew 12: Access Arms Retracts

Image shows a night time sky with a white and black SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and spacecraft in Florida. Photo credit: NASA
The crew access arm retracts from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida ahead of launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station.
NASA

The crew access arm has retracted, and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed. This system allows NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly from liftoff until they reach orbit — a timespan of roughly 12 minutes.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

Crew-12: ‘Go’ for Fueling

Crew-12: ‘Go’ for Fueling

Image shows the night time sky with a SpaceX white and black rocket for NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft on top stands vertical on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 launch.
NASA

The launch team has verified that controllers can soon begin loading propellants — liquid oxygen and refined, rocket-grade kerosene called RP-1 — into the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first and second stages. 

The SpaceX rocket and Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, commander, and Jack Hathaway, pilot, along with mission specialists ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, to the International Space Station at 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Updates on this morning’s milestones will be posted on the mission blog@NASAKennedy on X, or NASA Kennedy on Facebook.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Hatch Closed

SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Hatch Closed

Image shows a closeup view of the NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Photo credit: NASA
From left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Mier, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot sit inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as they prepare to launch to the International Space Station at 5:15 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
NASA

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 team is secure in their seats as the SpaceX crew closed the hatch to the Dragon spacecraft, with less than two hours remaining before liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The spacecraft previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, as well as Axiom Missions 2 and 3.

Watch NASA’s live launch coverage on NASA+Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

NASA+ Coverage Begins of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission

NASA+ Coverage Begins of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, is vertical at the launch pad of Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, is vertical at the launch pad of Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
NASA

NASA just expanded its coverage of this morning’s launch, and the live broadcast of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is airing live on NASA+Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

Today’s liftoff is targeted for 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Weather remains 90% favorable with forecasters watching the weather conditions along Crew-12’s flight path throughout the countdown, specifically the potential for elevated wind speeds. 

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members are agency astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

Crew-12 is the 12th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 13th flight with astronauts for NASA, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the International Space Station through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Once the crew docks with the space station, they will be greeted by NASA astronaut Chris Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who make up the crew of Expedition 74.

You can also follow along on the mission blog, which originates from the NASA News Center here at Kennedy, a few miles from the launch pad. On social media, follow launch day milestones on @NASAKennedy on X, or NASA Kennedy on Facebook.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes