Four astronauts have launched on a landmark mission to the International Space Station (ISS), marking another milestone in global space cooperation.
The Crew‑12 mission lifted off Friday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch had been delayed two days due to high winds.
Despite the superstition of a Friday the 13th launch, NASA officials expressed confidence. “Pretty amazing times,” said Steve Stich, who coordinates ISS launches.
The crew includes Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
They are expected to reach the ISS after a 34‑hour journey. Their arrival will replace a crew that returned early following the first‑ever medical evacuation from the station.
NASA has not disclosed details of the health issue.
Eight‑Month Mission
The ISS, orbiting 250 miles above Earth, has been continuously inhabited for 25 years. It remains a rare symbol of collaboration between Russia and the West despite tensions on Earth.
European Space Agency official Daniel Neuenschwander emphasized the mission’s importance for “the peaceful exploration of space.”
The astronauts will spend eight months conducting experiments on microgravity’s effects on the human body. Meir, a marine biologist, will serve as commander.
Adenot, the second French woman to fly in space, will test an artificial intelligence and augmented reality system that enables astronauts to perform medical ultrasounds independently.
The Crew‑12 mission also highlights the approaching end of the ISS era. The station is scheduled to be decommissioned and deorbited by 2030.
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