After previous weather delays, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is set to launch NASA’s Crew-12 mission Friday at 5:15 a.m. EST, visible across portions of the Eastern U.S.
Sky gazers across the Eastern United States are gearing up for an exciting early-morning event this Friday: a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is anticipated to lift off at 5:15 a.m. EST on Friday, February 13, 2026, from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This launch will carry NASA’s Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station, part of NASA’s ongoing Commercial Crew Program in partnership with SpaceX.
The Crew-12 mission will transport four astronauts, NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, to the orbiting laboratory for a long-duration stay.  Liftoff is targeted for the early predawn hours, with NASA and SpaceX planning live coverage beginning about an hour before launch on their official websites and social media channels.
This launch has seen a few schedule shifts in recent days. Originally planned earlier in the week, mission managers moved the attempt to Friday due to weather concerns along the rocket’s ascent corridor, including elevated wind conditions off the Atlantic coast.  Still, forecasts as of Thursday show generally favorable weather on the Space Coast, with mission teams and meteorologists monitoring conditions closely as the countdown progresses.
For those of us in south-central Pennsylvania, the launch may be visible for much of the area, especially the further east in the Commonwealth you go. If the Falcon 9 lifts off as planned and the skies are mostly clear locally, observers may see the rocket’s contrail streaking across the sky minutes after takeoff. When large enough rockets pass off the Mid-Atlantic coast just before sunrise or after sunset, sunlight shining at the top of the atmosphere reflects off the contrail which then provides the glowing illumination of the contrail for us here at the dark surface.
Not a horrible forecast here in south-central PA for those looking to catch a glimpse early Friday morning! After mostly cloudy skies Thursday afternoon, partial clearing will begin this evening and overnight with skies become mostly clear to partly cloudy by sunrise tomorrow morning. Grab a jacket though! Temperatures tonight fall steadily into the upper teens and low 20s.
After unfavorable weather conditions earlier this week regarding strong winds off the Atlantic, the forecast looks more favorable for launch. However, keep an eye on NASA and SpaceX’s official channels for the latest updates regarding Friday’s Falcon 9 Launch! Should all go as planned on the 13th, Crew-12 would arrive at the space station at approximately 3:15pm Saturday, February 14th.