The Crew 12 team successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on February 14, 2024, bringing the station’s crew back to a full complement of seven members. Their arrival follows the early departure of four crew members last month due to a medical issue, which left only three astronauts aboard.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked at the space-facing port of the Harmony module at 20:15 UTC, approximately 34 hours after its launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Jessica Meir, commander of Crew 12 and a returning astronaut, expressed her excitement, stating, “Grateful to be on board, and we’re ready to get to work.”
Joining Meir are veteran Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, along with two newcomers, Jack Hathaway and Sophie Adenot, from the European Space Agency. The crew opened the hatch of the Crew Dragon two hours after docking and was warmly welcomed by ISS commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and fellow crew members Sergey Mikaev and Chris Williams, who had been on the station since November.
Kud-Sverchkov greeted the newcomers, saying, “Welcome to Crew 12. We are happy they all arrived safe and sound; we’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time.” Meir echoed the sentiment, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of the crew and the collaborative spirit of the ISS.
The journey to the ISS was particularly significant for Adenot, a former French military helicopter test pilot. She described the experience as “mind-blowing,” noting, “The Earth is so beautiful from up here. We see no lines, no borders.”
With the arrival of Crew 12, the ISS will see a resumption of its research activities, which had slowed due to the reduced crew size. NASA officials had attempted to expedite Crew 12’s launch to alleviate the burden on Williams, who was operating the U.S. segment of the station alone. However, logistical challenges, including preparations for NASA’s Artemis II moon mission, delayed the launch until February 9.
The return of a full crew allows the ISS to operate at its full capacity. It enables the conduction of important research and facilitates spacewalks, which require at least two astronauts. Hathaway remarked, “Crew 12 is honored to join our Expedition 74 friends and colleagues … to add our chapter to the story of the International Space Station.”
As part of their transition, the Crew 12 members held a private medical conference shortly after docking, indicating a follow-up may be necessary. NASA maintains strict privacy guidelines regarding astronaut health, and details regarding this conference remain undisclosed. Initial symptoms such as nausea are common among astronauts as they adapt to weightlessness, typically resolving within days.
The successful arrival of Crew 12 marks another milestone in the ongoing collaboration among international space agencies aboard the ISS, showcasing the unity and shared goals of exploration beyond Earth.
