At 3:15 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station, restoring the onboard crew to a full complement of seven. For the previous month, the station had been operating with a reduced crew after four astronauts returned to Earth early due to medical reasons.
The Crew Dragon launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Friday and, after approximately 34 hours of flight, successfully docked to the forward port of the station's Harmony module. This mission marks the return of the ISS crew to its normal size, providing support for subsequent scientific research activities.
After docking, Expedition 12 Commander Jessica Meir stated, "We are grateful to be aboard the station, and we are ready to get to work." This is Meir's second long-duration mission. She arrived alongside veteran Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, spaceflight rookie Jack Hathaway, and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot.
Approximately two hours after docking, the new crew opened the hatch and entered the space station, where they were welcomed by station Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, cosmonaut Sergey Mikayev, and NASA astronaut Chris Williams. Kud-Sverchkov said, "Welcome, Expedition 12 crew. We are very happy they all arrived safely. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time."
Describing the ascent, Adenot said, "SpaceX gave us quite a ride, very exciting! The first view of Earth was breathtaking. Seeing Earth from the station is so beautiful, with no borders visible. This was an important moment for me and for Jack."
The new crew replaced the four members of the previous Expedition 11 crew, including Commander Zena Cadman, who departed early. Their arrival resolves the station's personnel shortage. Previously, with only three astronauts on board, safe operations were possible, but NASA and its partners' research and maintenance work were limited, and spacewalks could not be conducted.
NASA had planned to move the launch up to February 11th to reduce the time Williams would be the sole U.S. segment operator, but due to conflicts with Artemis II lunar mission preparations and high winds, the launch was ultimately set for Friday. With the addition of the Expedition 12 crew, U.S. segment research will return to normal, and spacewalks can be rescheduled.
Hathaway said via radio, "The Expedition 12 crew is honored to join Expedition 74 and add a chapter to the story of the International Space Station." The docking process was smooth, but the crew held a private medical conference prior to docking and requested a follow-up conference after docking. Hathaway added, "We will proceed as planned. Please have the flight surgeons ready." Mission Control responded that support would be provided.
In accordance with medical privacy guidelines, NASA did not disclose details of the health issue. Astronauts often experience symptoms like nausea during the initial adaptation to weightlessness, but these typically subside within a few days. This successful docking ensures the International Space Station crew is restored to full strength, supporting long-term operations and scientific exploration.
