A SpaceX capsule is set to transport four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), returning the orbiting laboratory to full staffing after operating with a reduced crew for a month, reports BritPanorama.
The Crew-12 mission is scheduled for launch at 5:15 a.m. ET on Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The US space agency, NASA, has contracted SpaceX for astronaut transportation to and from the ISS and aimed to expedite the launch due to the current understaffing. However, NASA missed two potential launch windows on Wednesday and Thursday because of adverse weather conditions along the rocket’s flight path.
The ISS has been operating with only three astronauts onboard since mid-January, significantly below the preferred seven-person crew, hampering its operational capacity. Previously, the Crew-11 mission had to return early due to an undisclosed medical issue affecting one of its members. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman remarked on the quick response and professionalism demonstrated by the teams involved during the Crew-11 operation, highlighting the effectiveness of NASA’s training protocols.
In the aftermath of Crew-11’s emergency departure, the Crew-12 astronauts will not benefit from the usual handover between outgoing and incoming crews, which can enhance operational efficiency. Onboard Crew-12 are NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Despite this lack of direct handover, Meir noted that they could still exchange important information with the Crew-11 astronauts prior to launch.
An understaffed space station
The premature departure of Crew-11 left the ISS under the care of only three astronauts: Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, along with NASA astronaut Chris Williams. This reduced crew presents operational challenges, as NASA has expressed that a well-staffed station maximizes the value of the $3 billion annual investment in its operation and maintenance.
Meir reflected on past missions before SpaceX began regular services for NASA, where a crew of three was more typical. She understood the transitional challenges and noted, “We ran into them several times and had a little bit of a debrief so they could pass along some pertinent things.”
Although accommodating just three astronauts limits research capabilities on the ISS, Isaacman has emphasized the importance of maximizing research potential, particularly in light of future commercial space stations. His vision includes multiple private-sector stations in low-Earth orbit to allow NASA to direct its focus on deeper space exploration.
During their anticipated eight-month mission, Crew-12 astronauts will engage in various research endeavors, including studies of blood vessel circulation through ultrasound scans and investigations related to pneumonia-causing bacteria. A simulated lunar landing exercise is also planned to evaluate how sudden gravity changes impact cognition and human health.
The intricacies of ongoing space missions underscore the continuous evolution of international cooperation and technology within the realms of human spaceflight and scientific discovery.
