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Crew-12 prepares to return after its station science mission

Crew-12 is preparing to return to Earth after supporting experiments aboard the International Space Station. The four-person team worked on ultracold atoms, living tissue, bacteria and materials. NASA’s mission update describes projects that continue beyond the crew’s departure, including comparisons between metal parts made in orbit and on the ground. The return date depends on weather.

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An anchored experimental cassette and sample holder in an orbital laboratory, with Earth visible behind.

Crew-12 readies for an early-October return

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12, the four-person astronaut mission aboard the International Space Station, is preparing to return to Earth after its station science work. The return is planned for early October and depends on weather. The crew supported experiments involving quantum systems, living tissue, microbes and materials during its stay in orbit.[1], [2]

The crew comprises NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Andrey Fedyaev of Russia's space agency Roscosmos. Their work ranged from growing crystals relevant to medicines to operating equipment that studies matter at extremely low temperatures.[1]

Tissue and bacteria experiments continue in orbit

Adenot worked with a wood-based scaffold designed to resemble bone, in research on cell growth under conditions that accelerate bone loss. Hathaway used DNA-sequencing equipment to examine antibiotic-resistant bacteria aboard the station. Other projects involved cartilage, stem cells and bone marrow. In a bone-and-muscle experiment, some samples were exposed to vibrations that mimic exercise.[1]

Metal parts return for ground comparisons

NASA said some small components made with a metal printer had returned to Earth for comparison with parts manufactured on the ground. Experiments also examined how tiny particles organize in fluid under microgravity. An intravenous-fluid production system explored the weight and storage-life constraints of medical supplies on long missions. Several projects remain in progress beyond the crew's return preparations.[1]

References

  1. News sourceNASACrew-12 prepares to return after station research mission↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceScience.ReportCrew-12 prepares to return after its station science mission↩
Space and explorationEnergy transition and climate

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