PREVIEW

SpaceX Launches 12th Long-Duration Crew to International Space Station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched early Friday, carrying a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station for an eight-month mission. The Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed "Freedom," is carrying two NASA astronauts, one European astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut, with a mission focused on scientific research in microgravity. This marks the 12th long-duration team to travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX rocket since NASA’s collaboration with the company began in May 2020. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, a veteran marine biologist, leads the Crew-12 mission, joined by rookie astronaut Jack Hathaway and European Space Agency’s Sophie Adenot from France. Also aboard is Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who is on his second mission to the ISS. The mission will focus on medical and technical research, including studies on bacteria, plant interactions, and technology development for NASA’s Artemis program. Crew-12 will be welcomed by three current ISS occupants: NASA’s Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. The ISS, a collaboration between the U.S., Russia, and other international partners, continues its mission to support space research and exploration through 2030.
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