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Four brave astronauts began a two-week quarantine as they prepared for a major trip to space. This group formed the team for the NASA SpaceX Crew-12 mission. They arrived at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, January 28. Since their arrival, they remained in a designated secure area. This strict isolation was crucial for their health; they needed to remain strong and healthy, avoiding any illness before their launch to the International Space Station.
The Crew-12 astronauts were scheduled to launch on Wednesday, February 11, no earlier than 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The launch took place at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Should the February 11 launch not have occurred, backup times were available: 5:38 a.m. on Thursday, February 12, and 5:15 a.m. on Friday, February 13.
At the time, NASA was actively planning two missions for the month: Artemis II and Crew-12. Agency leaders would make final launch time decisions closer to the flight date, evaluating rocket readiness and weather conditions to ensure the launch occurred only when everything was optimal.
The Crew-12 team comprised astronauts from various nations. The two NASA astronauts were Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway. Joining them were Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency and Andrey Fedyaev, a cosmonaut from Roscosmos. The crew traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in a controlled manner to maintain their health protocol. Upon arrival, they continued their quarantine to complete final pre-flight preparations.
They were set to travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched by a Falcon 9 rocket. Upon reaching the International Space Station, the Crew-12 team joined Expedition 74 and Expedition 75. The crew's mission lasted approximately nine months.