Full Crew Returns to Space Station After Month-Long Gap
▼ Summary
– A Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station on February 14th, with hatches opening that evening.
– The Crew 12 mission delivered four new astronauts, bringing the station’s total crew to seven and giving NASA its full complement in orbit.
– NASA aims to maintain at least four “US Orbital Segment” astronauts on board at all times since Crew Dragon began regular flights in late 2020.
– The USOS designation includes astronauts from the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan who operate the NASA-maintained parts of the station.
– NASA made an unprecedented early return for a Crew-11 astronaut due to a health emergency in early January, with the astronaut now recovering on Earth.
The International Space Station welcomed a full complement of crew members this weekend, restoring its operational capacity after an unusual gap. A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the orbiting laboratory on Saturday, February 14th. The hatch opening occurred at 5:14 PM Eastern Time, officially delivering four new astronauts to begin their long-duration mission.
This arrival marks the Crew-12 mission, which includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Their presence brings the total crew size back up to seven individuals. For NASA, this is a significant milestone as it re-establishes a full team in orbit to manage the complex operations of the US Orbital Segment (USOS).
The population on the station naturally varies over time. Crew rotations and visits by private astronauts on shorter missions cause these fluctuations. Since the Crew Dragon vehicle began its regular operational flights in late 2020, NASA has aimed to maintain a constant presence of at least four USOS astronauts. This designation refers to crew members from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan who are specifically trained to operate the sections of the station managed by NASA and its international partners.
Maintaining that minimum number was interrupted just a few days into the new year. An unexpected health issue involving one of the four astronauts from the preceding Crew-11 mission prompted an unprecedented response. NASA made the decision to return that crew member to Earth ahead of schedule. While the agency has not publicly identified the astronaut, officials have confirmed the individual is now recovering on the ground. This early return created a temporary situation where the USOS crew count fell below the preferred minimum, a gap now closed by the arrival of the Crew-12 team.
(Source: Ars Technica)
