NASA said its SpaceX Crew-12 mission is ending, with the crew scheduled to return from the International Space Station in early October. The agency said NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are heading home after supporting research intended to benefit life on Earth and prepare humans for deep space missions.
Who is coming home
According to NASA, the returning crew includes two NASA astronauts, Meir and Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Fedyaev.
NASA published a look back at the mission's accomplishments, describing investigations in microgravity ranging from cell behavior to how materials take shape.
Quantum and materials work
NASA said Meir worked with cables that deliver light used to cool, trap and study atoms inside the Cold Atom Lab. The agency said a recent upgrade to the facility increases the number of atoms produced, providing more data to advance quantum technologies such as solar cells and the components that power cell phones and computers.
The agency also described the Colloidal Solids investigation, which studies soft materials made from tiny particles suspended in water. NASA said understanding how those particles assemble could help fine-tune the texture, stability and performance of materials used for growing plants, 3D printing and producing pharmaceuticals.
NASA said Adenot installed the Metal 3D Printer aboard the orbital complex, and that several small metal parts have already been 3D printed in microgravity and returned to Earth, where their quality is evaluated against parts made on the ground. Producing metal parts on demand could reduce reliance on spare parts and resupply missions, the agency said.
Biomedical and microbial research
NASA said Adenot held a bone scaffold made from wood, part of the Green Bone study, designed to mimic the structure of real bones and support bone cell growth. The agency said insights could provide new treatment options for patients with osteoporosis, a disease it said affects more than 200 million people globally.
Hathaway held equipment to test for antibiotic-resistant bacteria aboard the station, NASA said, under an investigation it identified as CS-05A: Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space (GEARS). Sequencing DNA in microgravity can reveal how resilient microbes adapt to space, the agency said.
Other work described by NASA included engineered cartilage tissue development (BEM-CARTS), a stem cell investigation aimed at producing larger numbers of clinical-grade stem cells, a 3D Bone Marrow Analog experiment in which some samples are exposed to vibrations that simulate exercise, and crystallization of cancer-targeting treatments under the Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory.
Medical supplies and cargo
NASA said Adenot worked to produce intravenous fluid on demand in microgravity through the Intravenous Fluid Generation – Mini (IVGEN Mini) investigation. The agency said commercial IV fluids expire after about 16 months and that carrying them on long-duration missions adds weight and takes up valuable space.
The agency said Expedition 74 crew members received fresh produce delivered aboard NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 mission. NASA said the Cygnus XL spacecraft also delivered research projects including an instrument that could improve space-weather modeling and a project that could help protect gut-microbiome stability on future exploration missions.
Key facts and where they come from
- NASA said the Crew-12 mission is ending with a return scheduled for early October.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission is ending, with the crew scheduled to return in early October.
- The crew comprises two NASA astronauts, one ESA astronaut and one Roscosmos cosmonaut.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev will head home from the International Space Station
- A Cold Atom Lab upgrade increases the number of atoms produced, NASA said.
A recent upgrade to the facility increases the number of atoms produced, providing more data to advance quantum technologies such as solar cells and the components that power cell phones and computers.
- Small metal parts have been 3D printed in orbit and returned for quality evaluation.
Several small metal parts have already been 3D printed in microgravity and returned to Earth, where their quality is evaluated against those made on the ground.
- NASA cited a 16-month expiry for commercial IV fluids as motivation for in-space generation.
Commercial IV fluids expire after about 16 months and carrying them on long-duration missions adds weight and takes up valuable space.
- NASA said osteoporosis affects more than 200 million people globally.
osteoporosis, a disease that affects more than 200 million people globally
- The Cygnus XL spacecraft delivered research including a space-weather instrument.
The Cygnus XL spacecraft also delivered many research projects, including an instrument that could improve space-weather modeling