NASA said on October 6 that it and SpaceX were targeting Crew-12's undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) for no earlier than 8:05 a.m. EDT on October 7, 2026. Splashdown was planned for about 11:34 a.m. EDT on October 8, off California.
Crew-12's planned return schedule
| Date | Time (EDT) | Scheduled milestone |
| October 7, 2026 | 7:45 a.m. | NASA's undocking coverage scheduled to begin |
| October 7, 2026 | No earlier than 8:05 a.m. | Crew-12 undocking from the ISS |
| October 8, 2026 | 10:20 a.m. | NASA's return coverage scheduled to begin |
| October 8, 2026 | About 11:34 a.m. | Splashdown target off California |
Who is aboard and how Dragon is expected to return
The four crew members are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, the commander, and Jack Hathaway, the pilot; ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Adenot and Fedyaev are mission specialists.
ESA's planned sequence calls for Dragon Freedom to undock from the zenith-facing port of the ISS's Harmony module, perform a series of burns, return through Earth's atmosphere and splash down off California. A recovery team is scheduled to retrieve the crew.
Where to watch and what could affect the timing
NASA listed NASA Live for return coverage. ESA listed ESA Web TV and its YouTube channel for coverage of the undocking and splashdown. NASA also planned audio-only communications during Dragon's transit away from the station after undocking coverage.
NASA said the timetable depends on spacecraft and recovery-team readiness, Pacific weather and other operational factors. The agencies' scheduled times may change.
