The arrival of the Crew 12 team on February 14, 2024, at the International Space Station (ISS) has successfully restored the station’s crew to a full complement of seven. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked with the ISS at 3:15 p.m. EST, 34 hours after launching from the Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon 9 rocket. This marks a significant moment for the space lab, which had temporarily reduced its crew count following an early return of four astronauts due to a medical issue.
Crew 12 includes commander Jessica Meir, marking her second long-duration stay on the ISS, along with veteran Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev and two newcomers, Jack Hathaway and Sophie Adenot from the European Space Agency. Upon their arrival, the new crew members were welcomed aboard by the station’s commander, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and fellow astronauts Chris Williams and Sergey Mikaev, who have been on the ISS since last November.
In a brief welcoming ceremony, Kud-Sverchkov expressed his relief and joy at the arrival of Crew 12, stating, “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 responded with enthusiasm, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of the crew members, which she described as “a testament to everything we do.”
The Crew Dragon’s journey to the ISS was described as “mind-blowing” by Adenot, who noted the stunning view of Earth from space, free from visible borders. “It was a very big moment for us,” she shared, reflecting on the experience with her fellow crew member, Hathaway.
The arrival of Crew 12 comes after the early departure of Crew 11, which included Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov. Their exit left the station operating with just three crew members, which limited the scope of research and operations. Although the ISS can function with three astronauts, it is not feasible for a single NASA astronaut to manage all required tasks and research activities.
NASA had aimed to expedite Crew 12’s launch to reduce the duration of time that Chris Williams operated solo in the U.S. segment of the ISS. However, logistical challenges, including preparations for the upcoming NASA Artemis II moon mission and adverse weather conditions, delayed the launch until February 13, 2024.
With Crew 12 now aboard, research activities in the U.S. segment can resume their normal pace, and planned spacewalks can take place as necessary. Hathaway expressed pride in joining the team, stating, “Crew 12 is honored to join our Expedition 74 friends and colleagues to add our chapter to the story of the International Space Station.”
Following their successful docking, the Crew 12 team held a private medical conference to assess their health status, a standard protocol for astronauts after space travel. NASA maintains strict privacy guidelines regarding astronaut health, and further details regarding the need for a follow-up medical conference were not disclosed.
About half of astronauts typically experience nausea and other symptoms during the initial adjustment to weightlessness, but these discomforts usually diminish after a few days in orbit. As Crew 12 settles in, their contributions to ongoing research and international collaboration on the ISS will be closely watched by the global community.
