In a major milestone for space exploration, NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday (Feb 13). A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying four astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience.&nbsp;The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Saturday, February 14, at 3:15 PM EST (1:45 AM IST on Sunday), following a 34-hour journey. This arrival coincides perfectly with Valentine’s Day.&nbsp;A primary goal of the mission is to reinforce the ISS following the early return of the Crew-11 mission in January due to a health emergency. The arrival of Crew-12 will restore the station to its full seven-person complement as they join the Expedition 74 members already aboard.This launch also achieved a technical milestone: it was the first time SpaceX successfully launched and landed a crew-capable Falcon 9 booster at the same facility, Space Launch Complex 40, further demonstrating the rapid reusability and reliability of commercial spaceflight.<h2>The multinational crew</h2>The mission features a diverse team representing three different space agencies:&nbsp;Jessica Meir (NASA): Mission Commander. On her second trip to space, she previously made history by performing the first all-woman spacewalk.&nbsp;Jack Hathaway (NASA): Pilot. A US Navy Commander making his first spaceflight.&nbsp;Sophie Adenot (ESA): Mission Specialist. A French engineer and the first from her 2022 ESA astronaut class to fly; her portion of the mission is named "Epsilon."&nbsp;Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos): Mission Specialist. A Russian cosmonaut on his second long-duration mission.&nbsp;Scheduled for an eight-month stay, the crew will conduct over 200 experiments. Key research includes the "Venous Flow" study to understand blood clot risks in microgravity, investigating how pneumonia-causing bacteria affect heart tissue, testing on-demand IV fluid generation, and studying nitrogen-fixing microbes to improve sustainable food production for future Mars missions.

A primary goal of the mission is to reinforce the ISS following the early return of the Crew-11 mission in January due to a health emergency. The arrival of Crew-12 will restore the station to its full seven-person complement as they join the Expedition 74 members already aboard.

In a major milestone for space exploration, NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday (Feb 13). A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying four astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Saturday, February 14, at 3:15 PM EST (1:45 AM IST on Sunday), following a 34-hour journey. This arrival coincides perfectly with Valentine’s Day. A primary goal of the mission is to reinforce the ISS following the early return of the Crew-11 mission in January due to a health emergency. The arrival of Crew-12 will restore the station to its full seven-person complement as they join the Expedition 74 members already aboard. This launch also achieved a technical milestone: it was the first time SpaceX successfully launched and landed a crew-capable Falcon 9 booster at the same facility, Space Launch Complex 40, further demonstrating the rapid reusability and reliability of commercial spaceflight. The multinational crew The mission features a diverse team representing three different space agencies: Jessica Meir (NASA): Mission Commander. On her second trip to space, she previously made history by performing the first all-woman spacewalk. Jack Hathaway (NASA): Pilot. A US Navy Commander making his first spaceflight. Sophie Adenot (ESA): Mission Specialist. A French engineer and the first from her 2022 ESA astronaut class to fly; her portion of the mission is named "Epsilon." Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos): Mission Specialist. A Russian cosmonaut on his second long-duration mission. Scheduled for an eight-month stay, the crew will conduct over 200 experiments. Key research includes the "Venous Flow" study to understand blood clot risks in microgravity, investigating how pneumonia-causing bacteria affect heart tissue, testing on-demand IV fluid generation, and studying nitrogen-fixing microbes to improve sustainable food production for future Mars missions.

A primary goal of the mission is to reinforce the ISS following the early return of the Crew-11 mission in January due to a health emergency. The arrival of Crew-12 will restore the station to its full seven-person complement as they join the Expedition 74 members already aboard.

SpaceX lifts off with four astronauts for Valentine’s Day International Space Station docking

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts to the International Space Station under its SpaceX Crew-12 mission, marking the 12th crew rotation flight under the Commercial Crew Programme. The mission will carry astronauts from the United States, Europe and Russia for an eight-month stay in orbit, focused on science, technology tests and station maintenance.The crew will travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.&nbsp;<h2>SpaceX Crew-12 mission</h2>Crew-12 is a long-duration mission to the International Space Station. The astronauts will join Expedition 74, living and working in space for around eight months.The mission will focus on research that supports future Moon and Mars missions and delivers benefits on Earth. This includes experiments on human health, plant growth, and new space technologies.The Dragon spacecraft used for Crew-12 has already flown multiple missions, including earlier NASA crew flights and private astronaut missions.&nbsp;<h2>Astronauts on Crew-12</h2>The mission brings together four crew members from different space agencies.NASA astronaut&nbsp;Jessica Meir is the mission commander. This will be her second spaceflight. She previously spent more than 200 days aboard the space station and took part in the first all-women spacewalks.NASA astronaut&nbsp;Jack Hathaway will serve as pilot. Crew-12 will be his first space mission. Hathaway is a US Navy commander with more than 2,500 flight hours.Joining them are&nbsp;Sophie Adenot from the European Space Agency and&nbsp;Andrey Fedyaev from Roscosmos, both serving as mission specialists. For Adenot, this will be her first spaceflight, while Fedyaev has already completed one long-duration mission aboard the ISS.&nbsp;<h2>What science Crew-12 will carry out in space</h2>During their stay, the astronauts will run a wide range of experiments. According to NASA, these include studies on pneumonia-causing bacteria to improve treatments, research on blood flow in microgravity, and tests to produce intravenous fluids on demand in space.The crew will also work on automated plant health monitoring and experiments involving plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes. These studies aim to improve food production for future deep-space missions.In addition, Crew-12 will help maintain the space station, support visiting cargo spacecraft and assist with crew handovers.&nbsp;<h2>How the launch and docking will happen</h2>After liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will push Dragon to speeds of about 17,500 miles per hour. The spacecraft will then perform a series of automated manoeuvres to dock with the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.Although Dragon is designed to dock on its own, the crew can take manual control if needed. Once docked, the astronauts will be welcomed by the Expedition 74 crew already on board.&nbsp;<h2>Why Crew-12 matters for NASA’s future plans</h2>NASA says the International Space Station remains a key testbed for long-duration human spaceflight. Lessons from missions like Crew-12 help the agency prepare for the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon and later send astronauts to Mars.As commercial companies handle routine trips to low Earth orbit, NASA is focusing more on deep-space exploration. Crew-12 is part of that transition, combining international cooperation, commercial spacecraft and long-term science in space.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 will send four astronauts to the International Space Station for an eight-month mission focused on science, station upkeep and preparing for Moon and Mars missions.

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts to the International Space Station under its SpaceX Crew-12 mission, marking the 12th crew rotation flight under the Commercial Crew Programme. The mission will carry astronauts from the United States, Europe and Russia for an eight-month stay in orbit, focused on science, technology tests and station maintenance. The crew will travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. SpaceX Crew-12 mission Crew-12 is a long-duration mission to the International Space Station. The astronauts will join Expedition 74, living and working in space for around eight months. The mission will focus on research that supports future Moon and Mars missions and delivers benefits on Earth. This includes experiments on human health, plant growth, and new space technologies. The Dragon spacecraft used for Crew-12 has already flown multiple missions, including earlier NASA crew flights and private astronaut missions. Astronauts on Crew-12 The mission brings together four crew members from different space agencies. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir is the mission commander. This will be her second spaceflight. She previously spent more than 200 days aboard the space station and took part in the first all-women spacewalks. NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway will serve as pilot. Crew-12 will be his first space mission. Hathaway is a US Navy commander with more than 2,500 flight hours. Joining them are Sophie Adenot from the European Space Agency and Andrey Fedyaev from Roscosmos, both serving as mission specialists. For Adenot, this will be her first spaceflight, while Fedyaev has already completed one long-duration mission aboard the ISS. What science Crew-12 will carry out in space During their stay, the astronauts will run a wide range of experiments. According to NASA, these include studies on pneumonia-causing bacteria to improve treatments, research on blood flow in microgravity, and tests to produce intravenous fluids on demand in space. The crew will also work on automated plant health monitoring and experiments involving plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes. These studies aim to improve food production for future deep-space missions. In addition, Crew-12 will help maintain the space station, support visiting cargo spacecraft and assist with crew handovers. How the launch and docking will happen After liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will push Dragon to speeds of about 17,500 miles per hour. The spacecraft will then perform a series of automated manoeuvres to dock with the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. Although Dragon is designed to dock on its own, the crew can take manual control if needed. Once docked, the astronauts will be welcomed by the Expedition 74 crew already on board. Why Crew-12 matters for NASA’s future plans NASA says the International Space Station remains a key testbed for long-duration human spaceflight. Lessons from missions like Crew-12 help the agency prepare for the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon and later send astronauts to Mars. As commercial companies handle routine trips to low Earth orbit, NASA is focusing more on deep-space exploration. Crew-12 is part of that transition, combining international cooperation, commercial spacecraft and long-term science in space.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 will send four astronauts to the International Space Station for an eight-month mission focused on science, station upkeep and preparing for Moon and Mars missions.

What is NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission: Everything you should know

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SpaceX lifts off with four astronauts for Valentine’s Day International Space Station docking

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission: Everything you should know

Top 10 spacecraft designed for deep-space exploration