NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Launches to International Space Station
Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission launched at 5:15 a.m. EST Friday from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida for a scientific expedition aboard the International Space Station.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled a Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The spacecraft will autonomously dock with the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, February 14.
“With Crew-12 safely in orbit, America and our international partners have once again demonstrated the professionalism, preparedness and teamwork required for human spaceflight,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “The research this crew will conduct aboard the space station advances critical technologies for deep space exploration while bringing real benefits here on Earth. I am grateful to the NASA and SpaceX teams whose discipline, rigor and resilience made today’s launch possible. We are undertaking these missions with a clear understanding of risk, managing it responsibly so that we can continue to increase the human presence in low Earth orbit while preparing for our next big leap to the Moon and towards Mars.
During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the mission control center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Live NASA coverage resumes Saturday at 1:15 p.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime and the agency’s YouTube channel with rendezvous, docking and hatch opening. After docking, the crew will remove their spacesuits and prepare cargo for unloading before opening the hatch between Dragon and the space station’s Harmony module around 5 p.m. NASA will also provide coverage of the welcome ceremony aboard the space station shortly after the hatch opens.
Learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media.
Meir, Hathaway, Adenot and Fedyaev will join the Expedition 74 crew, including NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev already aboard the orbiting laboratory, returning the space station to its standard seven-member crew following the Jan. 14 departure of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission.
During its mission, Crew-12 will conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and for the benefit of humanity on Earth. Participating crew members will study pneumonia-causing bacteria to improve cardiovascular treatments, on-demand intravenous fluid generation for future space missions, and research how physical characteristics can affect blood flow during spaceflight. Other experiments include automated monitoring of plant health and studying interactions between plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes to improve food production in space.
Crew-12 is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which provides reliable access to space, maximizes use of the station for research and development, and supports future missions beyond low Earth orbit by partnering with private companies to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Learn more about the agency’s Commercial Crew Program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
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Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Steven Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov
