Archivo de la etiqueta: International Space Station

Cardiac and Psychology Research on Station as Crew-12 Adjusts Launch Date

NASA and SpaceX have completed a weather review and have waived off Crew-12’s Thursday, Feb. 12, launch opportunity to the International Space Station due to unfavorable forecasted weather conditions. Meanwhile, the Expedition 74 crew focused on astronaut health research, cargo operations, and lab maintenance.

Mission teams are targeting the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission for no earlier than 5:15 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 13, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev would then dock to the space station’s Harmony module at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. The commercial crew quartet will stay in space for a nine-month microgravity research mission.

Back on the orbital outpost, NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams began his shift with a fitness test measuring his cardiovascular health. Williams attached sensors to his chest and strapped on a heart rate monitor then pedaled for an hour on an exercise bike in the Destiny laboratory module. Doctors on the ground monitored his workout session in real time to detect potential signs of space-caused distress and ensure his long-term well-being off the Earth.

Williams ended his day continuing to pack completed science experiments, their associated samples, and station hardware inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for return to Earth on an upcoming date. Dragon arrived at the orbital outpost on Aug. 25, 2025, delivering over 5,000 pounds of scientific investigations, station hardware, and crew supplies.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev took turns measuring their heart activity using electrodes and collecting their blood pressure measurements wearing cuffs on their arm, wrist, and thumb. Their biomedical data was recorded to a computer and will be shared with doctors on Earth to assess microgravity’s effect on blood flow regulation and inflammation responses.

Kud-Sverchkov then studied how living in space affects memory and immunity. He first collected his saliva and hair samples for analysis. Next, he took a test measuring his sleep quality, daily moods, and the stress levels he experiences. Finally, he collected his heart and oxygen data and saved the data to a computer. Doctors will use the data to investigate how living in space long term impacts a crew member’s psychological state.

Mikaev focused on maintenance during the first part of his shift on Tuesday starting in the Nauka science module and servicing its ventilation system then inspecting and photographing cargo panels in the Zarya module. Next, he participated in a psychological test to determine how living in space affects his personality characteristics and his team behavior. Researchers will use the insights to help prevent stress-related health issues, maintain cognitive performance, and maintain team harmony during a spaceflight.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia

NASA, SpaceX Target Friday for Crew-12 Launch Due to Weather

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 5:15 a.m. EST, Friday, Feb. 13, for launch of the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Mission teams completed a weather review Tuesday morning and have waived off the Thursday, Feb. 12, launch opportunity due to forecast weather conditions along Crew-12’s flight path.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev remain in quarantine at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida until the next launch opportunity.

Crew-12 will lift off aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40.

Watch agency launch coverage starting at 3:15 a.m., on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

For a Feb. 13 launch, Crew-12 would arrive at the space station at approximately 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.

Learn more about the mission by following NASA’s commercial crew blog and @space_station on X, as well as the International Space Station’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Completes Dry Dress Rehearsal

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members achieved a critical prelaunch milestone by completing their dry dress rehearsal at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev practiced launch day operations, including suiting up, traveling to the pad, and boarding the spacecraft. These operations are done without fueling the rocket, which is why it’s called a dry dress rehearsal.

The launch team also practiced countdown operations and confirmed the spacecraft, crew access, and emergency egress procedures are on track before fueling the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Earlier today, agency leaders and partners held a prelaunch news conference to discuss the upcoming Crew-12 mission. Watch the full briefing here.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission adjusted its launch date due to forecast weather conditions along the flight path of the Dragon spacecraft. Launch is scheduled no earlier than 5:38 a.m. EST, Thursday, Feb. 12, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

Continue to follow the mission blog and social media, @NASAKennedy on X, or NASA Kennedy on Facebook for updates.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

Expedition 74 Works Research Gear, Soyuz Training as NASA Adjusts Crew-12 Launch Date

Expedition 74 began the week setting up pharmaceutical and exercise research hardware continuing ongoing studies to advance human health on and off the Earth. The orbital trio aboard the International Space Station also simulated a quick return to Earth scenario aboard the Soyuz spacecraft as NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission targets a new launch date.

The weightless environment of space enables research results and reveals insights unobtainable under the pressure of Earth’s gravity. Studying protein crystals in microgravity reveals clearer structures than those produced on the ground helping doctors design safer, more effective drugs while advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing in space. NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams contributed to that research on Monday installing cassettes filled with protein crystal samples inside the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4 located in the Destiny laboratory module.

Afterward, Williams began gathering and configuring hardware for an upcoming exercise session to measure his aerobic and cardiovascular health. He first set up gear that will monitor his heart and breathing rate then tested power and data cables connections. Next, he checked breathing gas cylinders and readied other components to accurately calculate his oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. Williams will wear the biomedical gear, including chest sensors, on Tuesday while pedaling on an exercise cycle helping doctors understand how a crew member’s fitness adapts to microgravity.

Williams also joined Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev and practiced a computer simulation of quickly entering a Soyuz spacecraft, undocking from the orbital outpost, and performing both a manual and automated descent into Earth’s atmosphere in the unlikely event of an emergency. Crews stay aboard the space station for months at a time and regularly refresh their spacecraft operational skills, as well as work through emergency training procedures.

Station commander Kud-Sverchkov later collected his saliva samples for analysis then attached electrodes to himself for 24 hours of cardiac monitoring. Doctors will use the biomedical data to understand how the effects of living in space, including radiation, weightlessness, and isolation, affect a crew member’s nervous and immune systems. Mikaev worked on water transfers then turned his attention to photographic inspections of windows inside the Zvezda service module.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is now targeting its launch to the orbital outpost for no earlier than 5:38 a.m. EST, Thursday, Feb. 12. Mission teams completed a weather review on Monday and elected to waive off a Wednesday, Feb. 11, launch opportunity due to unfavorable forecasted weather conditions along the flight path of the Dragon spacecraft. Weather will continue to be a watch item on Feb 12, and conditions are expected to improve on Friday, Feb. 13.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia

NASA, SpaceX Adjust Crew-12 Launch Date Due to Weather

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier 5:38 a.m. EST, Thursday, Feb. 12, for launch of the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Mission teams completed a weather review on Monday and elected to waive off a Wednesday, Feb. 11, launch opportunity due to forecast weather conditions along the flight path of the Dragon spacecraft. Weather will continue to be a watch item on Feb 12, and conditions are expected to improve on Friday, Feb. 13.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev remain in quarantine at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida until the next launch opportunity.

Crew-12 will lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40. 

Watch agency launch coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media. 

For a Feb. 12 opportunity, launch coverage will begin at 3:30 a.m. Following launch, Crew-12 would arrive to the space station at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 13. 

Learn more about the mission by following the commercial crew blog and @space_station on X, as well as the International Space Station’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

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Elyna Niles-Carnes