NASA launches Crew-12 astronauts in Valentine’s Day reward to the ISS

Four contemporary astronauts are on their technique to the International Space Station (ISS). On Friday at 5:15 a.m. ET, Crew-12 launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, kickstarting a day-long journey to orbit.

Crew-12 consists of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The quartet are set to dock on the station at roughly 3:15 pm ET on Saturday, February 14.

While in area, Crew-12 will carry out a sequence of science experiments, together with investigating how spaceflight and microgravity adjustments blood move, whether or not vitamin B dietary supplements may help tamp down swelling in astronauts’ eyes, and so they’ll carry out some simulated moon landings. And if all goes to plan, Crew-12 will even maintain a name with NASA’s Artemis II crew as these 4 astronauts wing their method across the moon, Jared Isaacman, NASA’s administrator, stated at a press convention on Friday.

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Crew-12 replaces Crew-11—however not like typical station handovers, Crew-11 have been evacuated from the ISS in January weeks forward of their deliberate return. That determination got here after one of many 4 members of that mission skilled an unknown medical subject—NASA has not revealed which astronaut encountered the issue.

Since Crew-11’s unprecedented early departure, the ISS has been staffed by simply three individuals: one NASA astronaut, Chris Williams, and two cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, the station commander, and Sergei Mikaev.

NASA has stated no adjustments have been made to Meir, Hathaway, Adenot and Fedyaev’s preparation or coaching on account of what occurred to Crew-11.

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