Crew-12, SpaceX’s newest crewed rotational flight, added a significant jewel to its crown on Friday. The spacecraft marked another milestone on June 23, when it successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS). The crew of four astronauts from the United States, France, and Russia had launched from Earth earlier that day. Now they’re off on an amazing adventure to the ISS!
Joining the crew are two NASA astronauts, Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, representing the United States. Joining them is European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot, from France. Rounding out the crew is Andrey Fedyaev, a cosmonaut with Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. This diverse team reflects international collaboration in space exploration.
Crew-12 is SpaceX’s 12th crewed rotational flight to the ISS. The astronauts will spend eight months aboard the space station, conducting groundbreaking scientific research and experiments during their stay. They docked at the ISS during a very tenuous period. They are replacing the previous crew, which had to be evacuated last month due to a medical emergency.
Crew-12 launched aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to maintain a continuous professional NASA-led presence aboard the ISS. This mission was designed to advance scientific understanding, especially in microgravity environments. Each crew rotation is a crucial moment for continuing the year-round research being performed on board the station.
The outgoing crew’s evacuation highlighted the dangers of space missions. Most importantly, it highlighted the desperate need for detailed safety procedures and rapid responses and contingency plans to unexpected circumstances. As Crew-12 gets accustomed to their new surroundings, they are more than ready to build on the successful and productive legacies of those before them.