Four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 enter the International Space Station and join Expedition 74
A few days back, four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled a Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts.
On February 14, NASA updated that the astronauts had arrived at the International Space Station as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the orbiting complex. Later, it was revealed that NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev had entered the International Space Station after opening the hatches between the space station and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
These members have now joined the Expedition 74 crew, including NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev already aboard the orbiting laboratory.
It was revealed that during its mission, Crew-12 will conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to benefit 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 on how physical characteristics may affect blood flow during spaceflight.
Other experiments include automated plant health monitoring and investigations of plant and nitrogen-fixing microbe interactions to enhance food production in space.
This Crew-12 mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which provides reliable access to space, maximising the use of the station for research and development, and supporting future missions beyond low Earth Orbit by partnering with private companies to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
