SpaceX Crew-12 Arrives at ISS: Restoring Full Staff to Orbiting Lab

Critical Mission for Science

After a month of operating with a skeleton crew, the International Space Station (ISS) is back to full strength. SpaceX's Dragon capsule, carrying the four astronauts of Crew-12 , successfully docked with the orbiting laboratory this Saturday. This mission is vital, bringing the station's population back up from three to seven, allowing for full-scale research operations to resume.

Overcoming Challenges

The launch comes after the abrupt departure of Crew-11 last month due to an undisclosed medical emergency. NASA and SpaceX worked to expedite Crew-12's launch, overcoming weather delays to ensure the station didn't remain understaffed for long. The new crew includes NASA's Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA's Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos' Andrey Fedyaev.

Science in Orbit

During their eight-month stay, the crew will conduct groundbreaking research. Experiments include ultrasound scans to study blood flow in microgravity and pharmaceutical studies on pneumonia-causing bacteria. They will also perform simulated lunar landings to test human cognition after long-duration spaceflight, preparing us for future missions to the Moon and Mars .