NASA Crew-12 Return: Astronauts Prepare to Leave ISS on October 7

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission can return to Earth after nearly 8 months on the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA and SpaceX are now aiming for Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 8:05 a.m. EDT for Crew-12 to depart the station. If the weather and recovery conditions are favorable, the astronauts will splash down in the Pacific Ocean around 11:34 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 8.

The return will put a major science mission out of its operational orbit on the ISS, which was just days after the arrival of the replacement Crew-13 team.

Who Is Returning on NASA Crew-12?

Four astronauts make up the Crew-12 team:

1. Mission commander and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir
2. Jack Hathaway is a NASA Astronaut and pilot.
3. Sophie Adenot is an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) and mission specialist.
4. Andrey Fedyaev, Roscosmos mission specialist and cosmonaut

They launched into space on a SpaceX Dragon space capsule on February 13, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft has joined the ISS on February 14.

By the time they return, the crew will have spent almost eight months in orbit.

When Will Crew-12 Leave the ISS?

NASA is initially scheduled to start the Crew-12 departure sequence on October 7.

The Dragon will then detach from the space-facing port of the Harmony module, remain in orbit for over a day, and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

NASA's most recent update calls for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean around 11:34 a.m. EDT on Oct. 8.

The schedule is still subject to change as the weather, sea conditions and other recovery needs have to be taken into account by NASA before committing to the return.

Crew-12's Science Mission

Crew-12's mission was more than just living on the space station.

The astronauts conducted experiments to study human responses to microgravity as well as the potential for technology to enable future explorers.

Some of the investigations included studying the likelihood of blood clots in space. Virtual reality was also used to study balance and orientation in microgravity conditions by its crew members.

An additional demonstration with technology was a small microplate reader, which is a laboratory instrument used to test biological materials in space.

The equipment is meant to be used to provide data to researchers without necessarily having to wait for samples to come back to Earth. The technology could eventually be used to enable real-time biological research over longer missions, NASA says.

Crew-13 Has Already Arrived

Crew-12's crew is able to leave because a replacement crew is already on the ISS.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk and Sergey Teteryatnikov were supposed to launch aboard SpaceX's Crew-13 mission on October 1, 2026, but that date has been postponed. The spacecraft arrived at the station the same day.

When the two crews made the handover, the temporary crew of 11 people was on board the ISS.

Crew-12 officially handed over to the new crew, and on Oct. 4, Jessica Meir took over command of the station from the outgoing astronauts, NASA says.

Why the Crew-12 Return Matters

Return is a key element of NASA's continuing ISS flight.

Crew rotations enable NASA and its international partners to keep humans in space and to safely return them after extended stays in space.

The mission also shows how commercial spacecraft can be used in NASA's human spaceflight program. Crew-12 flew to Space Station on the Dragon spacecraft built by SpaceX and will come back on the same spacecraft.

Important as NASA maintains that it depends on commercial partnerships for transport to and from low Earth orbit.

What Happens After Crew-12 Leaves?

Crew-13 will remain on the ISS to complete a long-duration research mission after Crew-12's mission ends.

The new crew will likely be aboard for about six months for experiments related to human health and food production and technologies that could be used for missions beyond Earth.

The changeover is, therefore, not just one crew leaving. It is one of the ongoing process of research and development of technology on the space station.

What Happens During Re-entry?

Following undocking, Crew-12 will be inside the Dragon spacecraft as it makes its return trip to Earth.

The spacecraft will go through the proper orbital maneuvers prior to reentering the atmosphere. The heat shield shields Dragon during re-entry when the extreme heat generated by atmospheric friction is encountered.

Then the parachutes will slow the spacecraft down before it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.

Recovery teams will be ready to help the astronauts once they have landed.

Final Takeaway

The SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station is nearing the end of its eight-month stay on the space station.

NASA and SpaceX are now expected to separate at 8:05 a.m. EDT on Oct. 7 and to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the Baja peninsula on Oct. 8. This will still be subject to weather and recovery conditions.

The mission has helped to advance studies on human health, microgravity and technologies that may enable future exploration.

Crew-12 is getting ready to return to Earth while Crew-13 is on board the ISS, continuing the research program uninterrupted.