Falcon‑9 Launch Watch: Crew‑12 Dragon Capsule Begins Journey to ISS
SpaceX’s Falcon-9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, sending Crew-12’s Dragon capsule toward the ISS. The mission features international astronauts and highlights reusable rocket technology, with docking scheduled for Valentine’s Day.
- Science News
- 2 min read
Falcon‑9 Launch Watch: Crew‑12 Dragon Capsule Begins Journey to ISS
New Delhi: SpaceX’s Falcon‑9 rocket thundered off the pad at Launch Complex 40, carrying four astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon “Freedom” capsule on the Crew‑12 mission to the International Space Station.
Smooth Flight So Far
Minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s first stage separated cleanly from the upper stage. The booster is now making its way back to Earth for a planned landing at Cape Canaveral’s new Landing Zone 40, about eight minutes after launch.
At the time of writing, the mission is between two critical milestones:
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- Entry Burn – the controlled engine firing that slows the returning first stage as it re‑enters Earth’s atmosphere.
- Dragon Separation – the moment when the Crew Dragon capsule detaches from the second stage to begin its independent journey toward orbit.
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Flight controllers confirmed the capsule is on a “nominal trajectory,” and Commander Jessica Meir replied, “Dragon copies,” signaling all systems are performing as expected.
Crew‑12 Team
The crew consists of:
- Jessica Meir (NASA) – Commander
- Jack Hathaway (NASA) – Pilot
- Sophie Adenot (ESA, France) – Mission Specialist
- Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos, Russia) – Mission Specialist
They will spend about eight months aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 74, conducting more than 200 experiments ranging from astronaut health studies to technology demonstrations for future Moon missions.
Crew‑12 replaces Crew‑11, which returned early last month in the first‑ever medical evacuation from the ISS. NASA and SpaceX advanced the Crew‑12 launch schedule to ensure the station remains fully staffed.
What’s Next
If all continues nominally, Crew Dragon “Freedom” will dock with the ISS on Valentine’s Day at 2:45 a.m. IST, marking another milestone in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and SpaceX’s reusable rocket achievements.