Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev and the Crew-12 mission are scheduled to undock from the International Space Station no earlier than 8:05 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. The spacecraft is slated to splash down off the coast of California on Thursday, Oct. 8, pending weather conditions in the recovery area.
Mission Timeline for the Crew-12 Return
NASA and international partners have mapped out a precise operational schedule for the return of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying the Crew-12 mission team. The operation depends heavily on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, and favorable weather conditions in the Pacific off the coast of California.
The return sequence spans two days of coordinated maneuvers between the orbital complex and flight controllers on the ground. Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the targeted recovery area as the crew prepares for departure. Once undocking coverage concludes, flight controllers, the orbiting laboratory, and Crew-12 will communicate via audio-only channels while the Dragon spacecraft moves away from the complex.
| Date and Time (EDT) | Mission Event |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6:00 a.m. | Hatch closure coverage begins |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6:20 a.m. | Hatch closing |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7, 7:45 a.m. | Undocking coverage begins |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8:05 a.m. | Undocking (no earlier than) |
| Thursday, Oct. 8, 10:20 a.m. | Return coverage begins |
| Thursday, Oct. 8, 10:46 a.m. | Deorbit burn |
| Thursday, Oct. 8, 11:34 a.m. | Splashdown off the California coast |
International Crew Members Aboard the Spacecraft
The returning Crew-12 mission brings together astronauts and cosmonauts from multiple space agencies after a lengthy orbital stay. Roscosmos state space corporation confirmed that Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev is scheduled to return to Earth from the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX spacecraft alongside his international colleagues.
According to mission reporting, these crew members have stayed in orbit for longer than seven months.
“Roscosmos Cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev is to return to Earth on October 8,”
Roscosmos, State Space Corporation
Roscosmos also noted that The spacecraft with our cosmonaut on board is scheduled to undock from the ISS no earlier than 8:05 a.m. EDT on October 7,
emphasizing that The timing of the operation depends on weather conditions.
Handover with the Crew-13 Arrivals
The departure of Crew-12 follows the recent arrival of the Crew-13 mission, which arrived at the orbital laboratory. The newly arrived Crew-13 team includes Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Teteryatnikov, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk.
Following the splashdown, NASA has scheduled a post-return briefing at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8. The briefing features Bill Spetch, deputy manager of Commercial for NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program; Dr. Liz Warren, deputy chief scientist for the program; Lee Echerd, senior mission manager for Customer Operations and Integration at SpaceX; and Andreas Mogensen, leader of the Human Exploration Group at ESA.
To join the teleconference remotely, reporters must reach out to the NASA Johnson newsroom by midday on Oct. 8 at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or via 281-483-5111 to obtain access information. To ask questions, media representatives must dial in no later than 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.