Crew 12 Undocks from ISS as New Arrivals Assume Command

Key points

• Crew 12 undocked from the Harmony module at 8:05 a.m. Eastern Time on October 7, 2026.
• The crew, consisting of Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev, is scheduled to splash down off the coast of California at 11:34 a.m. ET on October 8.
• Crew 13, led by Jessica Watkins, arrived on October 1 and is set to remain for a six-month mission.
• Soyuz MS-29 crew members Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Anil Menon remain on the station for an eight-month stay.
• Sophie Adenot completed three spacewalks, including one with Meir and two with Menon, during the mission.

Background

This rotation follows the arrival of Crew 13 on October 1, 2026, which set a U.S. record for the fastest transit to the ISS. The station currently hosts three crews simultaneously, a strategy to ensure continuity as the ISS approaches its planned retirement around 2030. Earlier in August, Adenot and Menon performed a spacewalk to repair a faulty antenna, highlighting the ongoing maintenance required for the aging station.

How outlets are covering it

CBS News and NASA emphasize the operational details of the undocking and splashdown, focusing on the timeline and the handover of command to Pyotr Dubrov. ESA highlights the significance of Sophie Adenot’s mission, noting it is a record-breaking flight for a European astronaut and her first spacewalk. All sources agree on the core facts of the departure and the presence of multiple crews on the station, but they differ in their emphasis: CBS and NASA focus on the logistical and ceremonial aspects, while ESA focuses on the individual achievements and historical context of Adenot’s mission.

Why it matters

The successful rotation of crews on the ISS is critical for maintaining continuous human presence in orbit, especially as the station nears its end of life. The presence of three crews simultaneously ensures that there is no gap in occupancy, which is important for ongoing research and for the transition to future commercial space stations. The mission also highlights the international cooperation between NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos, as well as the growing role of private companies like SpaceX in crewed spaceflight.

What to watch

Crew 12 is expected to splash down off the coast of California on October 8, 2026. After recovery, Sophie Adenot will travel to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, to begin post-flight activities. Crew 13 will remain on the ISS for a six-month mission, while the Soyuz MS-29 crew will stay for eight months. NASA and SpaceX are also planning a Commercial Resupply Services-35 launch, which will be discussed in a briefing on October 8.