Four intrepid astronauts are slated for a voyage to the International Space Station this Friday, set to relieve a crew that experienced an early departure due to a medical exigency.

The United States space agency has designated February 13 as the target date for the liftoff of the Crew-12 mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, with the launch window commencing at 5:15 AM local time (10:15 GMT).

This early morning ascent was postponed by 48 hours owing to unfavorable meteorological projections along the US East Coast, including significant wind speeds that could have jeopardized any necessary emergency procedures.

Should the launch proceed as scheduled on Friday morning, the crew is anticipated to reach the orbiting ISS by approximately 3:15 PM on Saturday.

The ranks of Crew-12 comprise American nationals Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, alongside French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

These individuals have been undergoing a period of isolation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in anticipation of their departure.

The incoming contingent will take over from Crew-11, whose return to Earth in January occurred a full month ahead of the original schedule, marking the inaugural medical evacuation in the station’s operational history.

The ISS, functioning as a sophisticated scientific laboratory in orbit roughly 400 kilometers above our planet, has since been maintained by a minimal contingent of three personnel.

NASA has opted not to divulge any specifics concerning the health concern that precipitated the mission’s premature conclusion.

Upon their eventual arrival, these astronauts will form one of the final crews to inhabit the expansive, football-field-sized orbital facility.

Having been continuously occupied for the past twenty-five years, the aging ISS is presently slated for a controlled deorbit and subsequent atmospheric re-entry into a remote sector of the Pacific Ocean by the year 2030.

Microgravity and its Physiological Impact

The ISS, once a potent symbol of thawing post-Cold War international relations, has served as a rare bastion of persistent collaboration between Western nations and Russia since the latter’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Nevertheless, the space station has not entirely been insulated from the geopolitical tensions prevalent on Earth.

In November, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, whose participation in Crew-12 had been long-established, was abruptly removed from the mission roster.

Reports disseminated by independent media outlets in Russia suggested he had been engaged in the unauthorized photographing and transmission of classified data via his personal device. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, offered a more circumspect explanation, stating only that he had been reassigned to alternative duties.

His designated replacement, Fedyaev, has prior experience aboard the ISS, having been part of the Crew-6 mission in 2023.

During their eight-month tenure aboard the orbital outpost, the four astronauts will undertake a multitude of experimental investigations, including crucial research into the effects of microgravity on the human organism.

Meir, whose professional background includes marine biology and the study of life in extreme environments, will assume the role of commander for the crew.


Adenot is poised to become the second French woman to venture into space, following in the distinguished path of Claudie Haignere, who previously sojourned aboard the Mir space station.

The spectacle of Haignere’s mission launch, observed by Adenot at the age of 14, proved to be an inspiring turning point.

“It was a moment of profound realization,” the accomplished helicopter pilot conveyed during a recent press briefing.

“At that very instant, the aspiration solidified within me: one day, that will be my journey.”

Among her scientific pursuits, the European Space Agency astronaut will be instrumental in testing an innovative system that leverages artificial intelligence and augmented reality to empower astronauts to perform their own medical ultrasound examinations.