NASA and SpaceX set the date for Crew-12’s departure from the Space Station: October 7

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 1:05 a.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, October 7, for the undocking of the Crew-12 mission from the International Space Station, as NASA announces in an official publication. After a review of weather conditions and possible splashdown zones off the coast of California, mission teams have determined the earliest possible window for the Dragon capsule’s separation from the orbital station — a moment that coincides with 07:05 a.m. Albanian time.

On board the capsule are the four crew members: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, the mission commander, and Jack Hathaway, the pilot; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot; and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. According to the U.S. space agency, the Dragon capsule’s splashdown is expected at around 11:25 a.m. (EDT) on Thursday, October 8 — 17:25 Albanian time — although the exact time may change depending on the chosen splashdown site.

The undocking, NASA stresses, remains dependent on a number of factors: the readiness of the spacecraft, the recovery teams, weather conditions and the state of the sea in the splashdown area. Mission managers will review the weather situation again around 48 hours before the planned undocking moment, to confirm whether the window remains safe for the crew.

Before departure, the departing crew will hold the official ceremony for the handover of command of the station. On Sunday, October 4, at 10:20 a.m. (EDT) — 16:20 Albanian time — commander Jessica Meir hands over command of the International Space Station to Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, who leads the new crew. The farewell ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA’s platforms, via nasa.gov/live.