SpaceX Crew-12 launch delay pushes NASA mission to Friday

Launch timing has shifted again for NASA’s Crew 12 mission, after poor weather along the ascent path ruled out an earlier attempt this week. Teams are now working toward no earlier than 5.15 am EST on Friday, 13 February, for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The decision followed a routine weather review, which found conditions unsuitable along parts of the flight corridor over the Atlantic. At the launch site itself, forecasts remain largely favourable. Even so, mission managers chose to stand down rather than press ahead. The flight will send four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, continuing NASA’s Commercial Crew partnership with the company.The launch was waived off primarily due to forecast conditions downrange, not at the pad. Elevated winds along the Atlantic Coast raised concern, prompting earlier shifts from the original 11 February target. While weather at Cape Canaveral is reported as 85 per cent favourable, cumulus clouds remain the main local issue.NASA and SpaceX officials polled go during the Launch Readiness Review, clearing the mission to proceed into countdown once weather constraints ease. The review is the final major step before launch. Crew 12 will be the twelfth crew rotation mission carried out by SpaceX to the International Space Station, and the thirteenth crewed flight under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are set to lift off from Space Launch Complex 40.On board will be NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, serving as commander, and Jack Hathaway as pilot. They are joined by European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The four have remained in quarantine at Kennedy Space Center since 6 February, following standard health protocols before launch. The mission is planned as an eight month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, part of the ongoing crew rotation that keeps research and maintenance work steady in low Earth orbit.If the 13 February launch proceeds on schedule, docking at the ISS is expected at around 3.15 pm EST on Saturday, 14 February. NASA will begin launch coverage in the early hours, streaming on NASA+, Amazon Prime and YouTube. For now, teams continue to watch the wind maps and cloud layers. The rocket remains in place.