SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom is set to undock from the International Space Station on Wednesday, October 7, wrapping up an eight-month mission for four crew members from NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos. Splashdown off the California coast is targeted for the following morning, October 8 — weather and sea state permitting.
The Mission in Numbers
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch date | February 13, 2026 |
| ISS docking | February 14, 2026 |
| Mission duration | ~8 months |
| Undocking (targeted) | October 7, 2026 — no earlier than 8:05 a.m. EDT |
| Splashdown (targeted) | October 8, 2026 — approx. 11:34 a.m. EDT |
| Recovery zone | Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California |
| Spacecraft | Crew Dragon Freedom |
Who's Coming Home
The four-person crew represents a genuinely international mission. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir served as commander — she handed over command of the station to Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov during a traditional change-of-command ceremony on October 4, according to NASA. Alongside her: NASA pilot Jack Hathaway, ESA mission specialist Sophie Adenot of France, and Roscosmos mission specialist Andrey Fedyaev.
The departure was originally targeted for no earlier than October 5, but mission managers pushed it back two days due to weather conditions and unfavorable sea states off California, according to NASA. That kind of schedule flexibility is standard practice for Dragon returns — the Pacific recovery window is wide, but the recovery teams need manageable swells to operate safely.
How to Watch
NASA is providing live coverage across the full sequence. According to NASA's published schedule, hatch closure coverage begins at 6:00 a.m. EDT on October 7, undocking coverage at 7:45 a.m. EDT, and the return and splashdown coverage picks back up at 10:20 a.m. EDT on October 8. All times remain subject to adjustment based on spacecraft and recovery team readiness.
With Crew-12 heading home, attention will quickly shift to what comes next on the ISS rotation. Pyotr Dubrov now holds command of the station, and the next crew handover will depend on the cadence of upcoming commercial crew launches. For SpaceX, a successful Crew-12 return adds another data point to what has become a remarkably routine human spaceflight program — routine, at least, by the standards of orbital operations. You can follow ongoing SpaceX coverage in our SpaceX coverage.
Sources & reporting notes
The links below identify the material source records used for this report.
- @SpaceX on X (2026-10-06T13:50:42.000Z) — Direct source
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