NASA and SpaceX Target No Earlier Than Oct. 7 for Crew-12 Return From Space Station

Crew-12 departure pushed to no earlier than Oct. 7

NASA and SpaceX have set the departure of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission from the International Space Station for no earlier than 1:05 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Oct. 7, following a review of weather and splashdown conditions off the coast of California. The agencies had previously been weighing an earlier return window once weather permitted. With the new target, homecoming preparations for the four Crew-12 members continue to hinge on Pacific recovery conditions rather than station-side readiness.

Crew-12 crew and handover sequence

The Crew-12 astronauts preparing for the trip home are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir is also set to hand over command of the space station to Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov during a change-of-command and farewell ceremony beginning at 10:20 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 4, formally transferring mission responsibilities from the departing Crew-12 to the newly arrived Crew-13. The homebound Crew-12 members have spent recent days packing cargo, configuring Dragon systems, and testing their pressure suits for the return flight.

Expanded station population after Crew-13 arrival

The Expedition 75 crew's larger complement follows the Oct. 1 arrival of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission, which reached the station after a record-setting 7-hour, 55-minute Dragon spacecraft flight from Florida. The four new arrivals — NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov — brought the number of people living aboard the orbiting laboratory to 11. Crew-13 spent Oct. 3 unpacking Dragon, transferring standard safety gear into the spacecraft, and discussing emergency roles and responsibilities.

Splashdown weather monitoring and advisory plans

NASA and SpaceX continue to monitor weather conditions off the California coast, with additional departure weather briefings planned over the weekend. NASA will share more information and issue an advisory for Crew-12's return to Earth following the upcoming weather briefings, leaving the precise splashdown time subject to those reviews. The farewell remarks and change-of-command ceremony are set to stream through NASA's usual online platforms.