SpaceX Crew-12 Astronauts Arrive at International Space Station Completing 34-Hour Orbital Voyage
According to the Economic Desk of Webangah News Agency, the crew members of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 3:15 PM Eastern Time on February 14th, ending their 34-hour orbital transit and replenishing the station’s reduced complement of residents. The arrival, timed on Valentine’s Day, was heralded as a special delivery for the station’s inhabitants.
The four-person crew, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the morning of February 13th, traveled in the Dragon capsule named ‘Freedom’. The expedition includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, along with Sophie Adenot from the European Space Agency and Andrey Fedyaev representing the Russian Space Agency.
Following the successful docking procedure, Crew-12 Commander Jessica Meir communicated with mission control, emphasizing the significance of the event. “With this connection, we have continued the legacy of continuous human presence in space. We have been in this location for over 25 years,” Meir stated. She further elaborated that the ISS is “more than a structure; it is a realized promise built over decades, sustained by trust and partnership, and powered by science, innovation, and curiosity. When we look out of these windows toward Earth, we are reminded that cooperation is not only possible but essential. There are no borders here, and hope is universal.”
NASA officials confirmed that after securing the connection, the astronauts would change out of their spacesuits, prepare the cargo for offloading, and then proceed to open the hatch between the Dragon capsule and the ISS Harmony module, anticipated around 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
The Crew-12 astronauts are scheduled to remain aboard the International Space Station through October, resulting in an expedition slightly longer than the standard six-month rotation for station crew members.
