Four-Member Crew Embarks on ISS Science Mission Aboard SpaceX Dragon

A new four-member international crew has successfully launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, commencing their journey to the International Space Station (ISS) for a science expedition. The launch, which took place at 5:15 a.m. EST on February 13, 2026, saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft ascend into orbit. The crew comprises NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, along with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. This mission, designated Crew-12, marks the twelfth crew rotation mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, utilizing the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock with the space-facing port of the ISS’s Harmony module on Saturday, February 14, at approximately 3:15 p.m. EST. Throughout the flight, SpaceX will oversee a series of automated spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. Concurrently, NASA will monitor space station operations from its Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Live coverage of the rendezvous, docking, and hatch opening is slated to begin at 1:15 p.m. EST on Saturday across platforms including NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Following docking, the crew will transition out of their spacesuits and prepare for cargo offloading before the hatch between the Dragon and the Harmony module is opened around 5 p.m. NASA will also provide coverage of the welcome ceremony once the crew is aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Upon arrival, Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev will join the existing Expedition 74 crew, which includes NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. Their arrival will restore the International Space Station to its standard complement of seven crew members, following the departure of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission on January 14.

The scientific research planned for the Crew-12 mission is designed to advance human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and yield benefits for people on Earth. Experiments will focus on understanding pneumonia-causing bacteria with the aim of improving cardiovascular treatments. Additionally, the crew will work on developing on-demand intravenous fluid generation capabilities, crucial for future long-duration space missions. Research will also investigate how specific physical characteristics might influence blood flow during spaceflight. Further investigations will include automated plant health monitoring and studies on the interactions between plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes, intended to enhance food production in space environments. These endeavors are part of NASA’s broader Commercial Crew Program, which aims to ensure reliable access to space. This program maximizes the use of the ISS for research and development, and supports the development of future missions beyond low Earth orbit by fostering partnerships with private companies for astronaut transportation to and from the space station.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from NASA

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