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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Wraps Up Its Station Science Mission as Return Preparations Begin

Crew-12’s station science work included studies of crystals, cold atoms, IV-fluid production, stem cells, and bone marrow. NASA’s Oct. 2 update said the crew was preparing to depart, not confirmed returned.

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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 finished its International Space Station science mission and was preparing to return to Earth in early October 2026. As of NASA’s Oct. 2 status update, the crew had not yet been confirmed home: Crew-13 had arrived, and the crews were scheduled to transfer responsibilities on Oct. 4 before Crew-12’s planned departure. The research ranged from pharmaceutical crystals and quantum science to possible ways of producing IV fluid in orbit.

Who flew on Crew-12, and when did it launch?

Crew-12 consisted of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. They launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft at 5:15 a.m. EST on Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to NASA’s launch release.

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NASA describes Crew-12 as the 12th SpaceX crew-rotation mission in its human space transportation system and the 13th astronaut flight to the station when the Demo-2 test flight is included. The Crew-12 mission page provides that flight context.

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Has Crew-12 returned to Earth?

NASA’s Oct. 2, 2026 station update described Crew-12 as preparing to depart, not as having completed its return. Crew-13 arrived on Oct. 1, bringing the station’s occupancy to 11 people. NASA said the two crews were scheduled to formally transfer responsibilities on Oct. 4 before Crew-12’s return. The Oct. 2 update is an operational status report, not a splashdown confirmation.

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NASA had outlined a brief handover and a planned splashdown off California in a Sept. 29 rehearsal update, with return operations contingent on conditions. That plan is described in the rehearsal report; it should not be read as evidence that splashdown had already occurred.

What science did Crew-12 support?

NASA’s Oct. 2 mission retrospective highlights investigations designed to explore life in microgravity and potential applications on Earth or for future deep-space missions. These are research aims and possibilities, not proof that a treatment or technology is ready for use.

Pharmaceutical crystals and cancer research

The Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory investigation, identified as ADSEP-PIL-15, examines crystal growth in microgravity. NASA says the work may help researchers study the properties of cancer-targeting treatments. The mission account does not report a clinical result or establish that a treatment was improved.

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Cold atoms and quantum science

The Cold Atom Lab’s upgraded capability produces more atoms for observation in microgravity. NASA says this can support research relevant to quantum technologies; the retrospective does not claim a specific quantum device or application resulted from Crew-12.

Making IV fluid in orbit

Sophie Adenot worked with IVGEN Mini, an investigation exploring whether IV fluid could be produced in microgravity. NASA notes that commercially available IV fluids expire after about 16 months and that carrying medical supplies for long missions adds mass and takes space. Those are contextual points in NASA’s article, not outcomes measured by Crew-12’s experiment. The potential value is greater flexibility for missions that cannot readily resupply, but the investigation is exploratory.

Stem cells and possible blood-disease applications

InSPA-StemCellEX-H2 studies stem cells in microgravity. NASA says the environment may enable larger numbers of clinical-grade stem cells that retain the ability to differentiate. Potential relevance to leukemia and other blood diseases remains a research possibility, not a demonstrated treatment outcome.

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Bone marrow, bone and muscle

The 3D Bone Marrow Analog uses structures that mimic parts of bone marrow. Some samples receive vibrations intended to simulate exercise. NASA says the work could help reveal approaches to bone and muscle loss, a concern for spaceflight as well as a subject with potential relevance on Earth.

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Other investigation areas

NASA’s retrospective also lists orbital transit, microbial research, cartilage, in-space suspension, and metal printing among the mission’s science themes. The article’s surfaced descriptions provide less detail for those areas, so specific methods or findings cannot be inferred from the topic names alone.

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What the mission’s science does—and does not—show

Crew-12’s experiments add to research conducted aboard the station, where microgravity provides conditions not readily available in ordinary ground laboratories. NASA presents the investigations as steps toward understanding biological processes, testing research approaches, and informing future exploration. The examples do not establish that a medicine, stem-cell therapy, IV-production system, or countermeasure is clinically proven or ready for routine deployment.

The distinction matters especially for health-related claims: NASA describes potential applications and research goals, but its mission retrospective does not provide named statistical results, efficacy rates, sample sizes, or completed clinical outcomes. The mission’s documented significance is the range of investigations it supported and the questions they are intended to address.

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