Watch the NASA SpaceX Crew-12 mission dock with the ISS

Source: Engadget

Mission Overview

The Crew‑12 mission, SpaceX’s 20th human spaceflight, launched at 5:15 AM Eastern on February 13 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on February 14 at 3:15 PM. By the time the Dragon capsule docks, it will have been in flight for approximately 34 hours.

Crew

• Jessica Meir – NASA astronaut
• Jack Hathaway – NASA astronaut
• Sophie Adenot – European Space Agency astronaut
• Andrey Fedyaev – Roscosmos cosmonaut

Mission Context

The four spacefarers are joining the three remaining crew members already aboard the ISS. This follows the early return of Crew‑11, which flew back to Earth a month earlier than planned after NASA decided to end the mission due to a medical issue that could not be diagnosed with ISS instruments. Although the affected crew member was stable, the agency opted to bring the entire crew home as a precaution.

Scientific Objectives

Crew‑12 will stay on the ISS for eight months, conducting a variety of scientific experiments, including:

• Studies on how pneumonia‑causing bacteria can lead to long‑term heart damage.
• Investigations of how an individual’s physical characteristics affect blood flow during spaceflight.
• Experiments related to human health and technologies for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Live Coverage

NASA’s live coverage of the docking begins at 1:15 PM.