Crew-12 Arrives at the International Space Station | Εpsilon Mission

Why It Matters

Crew‑12’s flawless docking demonstrates the maturity of commercial crew operations, ensuring continued access to the ISS and strengthening the U.S. space industry’s global leadership.

Key Takeaways

• SpaceX Dragon successfully docked with ISS on Crew‑12 mission.
• Houston mission control confirmed soft capture and final docking sequence.
• Astronauts described Earth’s borderless view as mind‑blowing during flight.
• Crew‑12 marks another milestone for commercial crew transportation.
• Video highlights international cooperation and future mission enthusiasm.

Summary

The video captures SpaceX’s Crew‑12 Dragon capsule’s final approach and docking with the International Space Station, broadcast from Houston’s “big loop” mission control.

Controllers announce soft‑capture completion, followed by a seamless hard‑dock, confirming the commercial crew vehicle’s reliable performance. The footage shows the capsule’s thrusters firing, the hatch alignment, and the crew’s gratitude to mission control for a “wonderful ride.”

Inside the station, astronauts reflect on their first view of Earth, describing it as “mind‑blowing” and noting the absence of borders from orbit. Their remarks underscore the unique perspective that spaceflight provides on global unity.

The successful docking reinforces NASA’s partnership with SpaceX, validates the commercial crew program’s schedule, and bolsters confidence in upcoming missions to the ISS and beyond, while inspiring public interest in space exploration.

Original Description

Watch the docking operations of Crew-12 to the International Space Station (ISS), which took place on 14 February 2026 at 21:15 CET. The docking is followed by the hatch opening and the welcome remarks by the astronauts already present in the ISS.

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot flies as mission specialist. The other Crew-12 members are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, respectively commander and pilot of the mission, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, mission specialist.

The French ESA astronaut is the first of her class, the Hoppers, to fly. Sophie has chosen the name εpsilon for her mission, which may last up to nine months. On board the Station, she will conduct a wide range of tasks, including European-led scientific experiments and medical research, support Earth observation activities, and contribute to operations and maintenance on the Station.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/02/Crew-12_Docking_hatch_opening_and_welcome_remarks

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