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

The Crew-12 mission, SpaceX's 20th human spaceflight, launched at 5:15 AM Eastern on February 13 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on February 14 at 3:15 PM, approximately 34 hours after liftoff. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. They will join three remaining crew members on the ISS following the early return of Crew-11, which was cut short due to a medical issue with one of its members. NASA made the decision to bring Crew-11 back to Earth out of an abundance of caution, as the medical issue could not be diagnosed with the instruments available on the ISS, although the crew member was stable. The Crew-12 mission is set to focus on long-duration science studies aboard the ISS, particularly examining how microgravity affects the human body. This includes research on subtle changes in blood flow among astronauts, contributing to a better understanding of human health in space. The launch of Crew-12 was initially delayed due to weather conditions, which affected the Falcon 9 launch window. The delay allowed for the possibility of a national security mission to launch earlier, but the Crew-12 mission ultimately proceeded as planned. The astronauts will conduct their research and stay aboard the ISS for an extended period, contributing to ongoing studies in microgravity.