NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, a proud Mainer, launched today (Feb. 13, 2026) as commander of SpaceX Crew-12, stepping in after a medical emergency forced the previous crew’s early return—the first time in 65 years of human spaceflight that NASA has cut a mission short for health reasons.
The Falcon 9 lifted off perfectly from Cape Canaveral’s Pad 40, sending Meir, NASA pilot Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, and French ESA astronaut Sophia Adenot on an eight-to-nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station.
What Happened?
Last month, one of the four astronauts on the station fell seriously ill. The crew used the onboard ultrasound machine (which was already there for research) to diagnose the issue, and NASA made the tough call to bring everyone home early. The Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific near San Diego, and all four crew members were taken straight to the hospital. For weeks, the ISS ran on a skeleton crew of just three (one American and two Russians), forcing NASA to pause spacewalks and other work.
The New Crew
- Jessica Meir (Commander) – This is her second long-duration flight. She famously took part in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019 with Christina Koch. Today she joked with launch control: “It turns out Friday the 13th is a very lucky day,” then added after reaching orbit, “That was quite a ride.”
- Jack Hathaway – First-time flier, U.S. Navy test pilot.
- Andrei Fedyaev – Russian veteran who led the traditional pre-launch cry of “Poyekhali!” (Let’s go!), the same words Yuri Gagarin used in 1961.
- Sophia Adenot – Only the second French woman in space. Her idol, former astronaut Claudie Haigneré (who flew to Mir in 1996), was at the launch cheering her on with “Bon vol!” and “Ad astra!”
What’s Next?
The new crew is scheduled to dock tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 14, bringing the station back to full strength. Once aboard, they’ll pick up scientific work—including testing a filter that can turn drinking water into emergency IV fluid, using AI to help with ultrasounds, and practicing moon-landing skills in a simulator.
Meir also plans a ship-to-ship radio chat with her old spacewalk partner Christina Koch, who is now part of the Artemis II crew getting ready to fly around the Moon as soon as March.
It’s a big moment: a fast, flawless replacement launch that shows how quickly NASA and SpaceX can respond to the unexpected, while quietly reminding everyone that long-duration spaceflight still comes with very real human risks.