The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced an earlier-than-expected launch date for the next astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). They plan to launch the SpaceX Crew-12 mission on February 11, which will deliver four astronauts to join the crew currently operating the orbiting laboratory. This is reported by UNN with reference to Space. Com.
Details
Currently, only three astronauts are engaged in maintenance and scientific research aboard the ISS. They remained on board the station on January 14 after the early departure of the Crew-11 crew as part of the station's first-ever medical evacuation.
SpaceX and NASA initially planned to launch Crew-12 on February 15, but they managed to prepare the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket for the mission earlier than planned.
The Crew-12 crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir (mission commander) and Jack Hathaway (pilot), as well as mission specialists Sophie Adenot from the European Space Agency and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
The launch window for Crew-12 will open on February 11 at 6:00 AM EST (11:00 GMT), with the launch scheduled from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Recall
Earlier, UNN reported that the SLS rocket with the Orion capsule arrived at launch pad 39B of the Kennedy Space Center.