FOUR ASTRONAUTS LAUNCH FRIDAY FOR SCIENTIFIC MISSION TO ISS . (PHOTO).

Four astronauts launch Friday for scientific mission to ISS 

  

Four astronauts launched before dawn Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, heading to the International Space Station for a likely eight- to nine-month mission to restore the station to full staffing. The expedited flight follows NASA’s first-ever medical evacuation last month, which left vacancies aboard the ISS. The new crew will join the three astronauts who have been keeping the station operational during the past month.

Crew-12 consists of Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot, and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev. They lifted off aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at 5:15 a.m. EST, departing on schedule. Mission control sent them off with the words, “Go Falcon. Go Dragon. And Godspeed, Crew-12.” Once in orbit, SpaceX Launch Control noted, “It turns out Friday the 13th is a very lucky day,” prompting Meir, the mission commander, to respond, “That was quite a ride.”

NASA did not require extra medical checkups for the crew before launch, nor did they bring new diagnostic equipment; the station’s existing ultrasound machine had been heavily used on Jan. 7 to assist the evacuated crew member, whose identity and condition remain undisclosed. The four astronauts returning from the prior mission went directly to a hospital in San Diego after splashdown. This medical evacuation marked the first time in NASA’s 65-year human spaceflight history that a mission was cut short for health reasons.

For Adenot and Hathaway, the mission represents their first trip to space, with Adenot becoming the second French woman to fly to orbit. Meir and Fedyaev are on their second mission; Meir previously participated in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019. Christina Koch, who joined Meir for that spacewalk, is preparing for the Artemis II lunar mission, and a planned radio linkup will connect the two crews while in space.

Crew-12’s mission focuses on scientific studies and experiments designed to advance life in space while benefiting Earth. Activities include testing a new filter capable of converting drinking water into emergency IV fluid, using an AI- and AR-based ultrasound system without on-the-ground guidance, and conducting jugular vein scans for a blood-clot study. The crew will also practice simulated moon-landing techniques in preparation for future lunar missions.

The launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was conducted by SpaceX, which is also readying the nearby Kennedy Space Center pad for super-sized Starships intended to transport astronauts to the moon.