What is NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission: Everything you should know

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts to the International Space Station under its SpaceX Crew-12 mission, marking the 12th crew rotation flight under the Commercial Crew Programme. The mission will carry astronauts from the United States, Europe and Russia for an eight-month stay in orbit, focused on science, technology tests and station maintenance.

The crew will travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

SpaceX Crew-12 mission

Crew-12 is a long-duration mission to the International Space Station. The astronauts will join Expedition 74, living and working in space for around eight months.

The mission will focus on research that supports future Moon and Mars missions and delivers benefits on Earth. This includes experiments on human health, plant growth, and new space technologies.

The Dragon spacecraft used for Crew-12 has already flown multiple missions, including earlier NASA crew flights and private astronaut missions.

Astronauts on Crew-12

The mission brings together four crew members from different space agencies.

NASA astronautJessica Meir is the mission commander. This will be her second spaceflight. She previously spent more than 200 days aboard the space station and took part in the first all-women spacewalks.

NASA astronautJack Hathaway will serve as pilot. Crew-12 will be his first space mission. Hathaway is a US Navy commander with more than 2,500 flight hours.

Joining them areSophie Adenot from the European Space Agency andAndrey Fedyaev from Roscosmos, both serving as mission specialists. For Adenot, this will be her first spaceflight, while Fedyaev has already completed one long-duration mission aboard the ISS.

What science Crew-12 will carry out in space

During their stay, the astronauts will run a wide range of experiments. According to NASA, these include studies on pneumonia-causing bacteria to improve treatments, research on blood flow in microgravity, and tests to produce intravenous fluids on demand in space.

The crew will also work on automated plant health monitoring and experiments involving plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes. These studies aim to improve food production for future deep-space missions.

In addition, Crew-12 will help maintain the space station, support visiting cargo spacecraft and assist with crew handovers.

How the launch and docking will happen

After liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will push Dragon to speeds of about 17,500 miles per hour. The spacecraft will then perform a series of automated manoeuvres to dock with the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.

Although Dragon is designed to dock on its own, the crew can take manual control if needed. Once docked, the astronauts will be welcomed by the Expedition 74 crew already on board.

Why Crew-12 matters for NASA’s future plans

NASA says the International Space Station remains a key testbed for long-duration human spaceflight. Lessons from missions like Crew-12 help the agency prepare for the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon and later send astronauts to Mars.

As commercial companies handle routine trips to low Earth orbit, NASA is focusing more on deep-space exploration. Crew-12 is part of that transition, combining international cooperation, commercial spacecraft and long-term science in space.