NASA and SpaceX teams are working in full swing to complete final preparations for the four crew members of Crew-12 before they depart for the International Space Station. The Crew-12 mission is set to lift off this Friday at 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Crew-12 is successfully in orbit and is now in microgravity as you can see objects floating around the astronauts as they move further away from Earth. Although the four astronauts remained strapped to their seats, they have raised their visors and can now look around.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, commander, and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev will fly aboard the Dragon spacecraft to begin an eight-month rotation aboard the space station. France watched with pride and intense excitement as its second-ever female astronaut took off on the SpaceX rocket from Cape Canaveral.
Conversely, astronauts Sophie Adeny and Jack Hathaway are now experiencing weightlessness for the first time as they float through space. “The crew will be able to open their visors and take off their suits during their ride to the International Space Station.” NASA added.
Astronaut Sophie Adenot describes the mission as one of those small moments in exploring our world and beyond.” The Falcon 9 will carry the crew into orbit before detaching from the Dragon Capsule and returning to Earth.
The Dragon capsule and returns to Earth, where it will land to be refurbished for future use. The Dragon will then use its own engine to rendezvous and dock with the space station. Viewers can enjoy coverage of Crew-12’s arrival on NASA+, Amazon Prime and the agency’s YouTube channel beginning at 1:15 p.m.
