A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched early on Friday, 13 February, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying four astronauts and cosmonauts on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Crew-12 team includes two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut.
The 25-storey rocket, topped with the autonomously operated Crew Dragon capsule Freedom, lifted off at 10:15 GMT, its nine Merlin engines producing a dramatic display of fire and vapour.
The crew is expected to dock with the ISS on Saturday after a 34-hour flight, where they will join the station’s current occupants: NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.
Crew-12 is led by veteran NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, who is returning for her second mission following a historic all-female spacewalk in 2019.
Joining her are rookie astronaut Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who is embarking on his second mission to the ISS.
During their time aboard the station, the team will conduct scientific, medical and technical research. This will include studies on pneumonia-causing bacteria, as well as experiments involving plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes aimed at supporting future space agriculture.
Their arrival follows the early departure of four Crew-11 members due to a medical evacuation in mid-January.
The ISS, which spans the length of an American football field, is operated by a US-Russian-led consortium that includes Canada, Japan and 11 European nations. It has been continuously inhabited for more than 25 years.
NASA has confirmed its commitment to maintaining the station until at least 2030, continuing a decades-long multinational effort that began after the Cold War.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier di...
The Philippines and China traded accusations on Monday after their vessels clashed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Manila ...
Armenian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that supporters of the Strong Armenia party offered bribes to voters in e...
SpaceX's Starship rocket aborted its 13th flight test just seconds before liftoff in Texas on Thursday after some of its 33 engines failed to start. CEO Elon Musk said the company is likely to make another launch attempt early next week.
Rocket Lab has agreed to acquire Iridium Communications in an $8 billion deal, giving the space company a global satellite communications network and accelerating its expansion beyond launch services. The acquisition marks a major step in its ambition to become a fully integrated space business.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
Lionel Messi's Argentina face Spain in World Cup final with history on the line. Spain and Argentina meet on Sunday in the 2026 World Cup final, bringing together the reigning champions of Europe and South America.
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.
The United States launched fresh strikes against Iran after two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan. U.S. President Donald Trump paid tribute to the fallen troops as Iran warned of further escalation.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will make his first trip to the White House this week to present a plan to U.S. President Donald Trump on how to disarm Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump's comments blaming Canada for wildfire smoke affecting parts of the United States. He called Trump's remarks "absolutely unacceptable" as crews battle hundreds of forest fires across the province.
The Philippines and China traded accusations on Monday after their vessels clashed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Manila said a Philippine sailor was injured, while Beijing claimed Philippine forces started the confrontation.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement has announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, raising fears of further regional escalation and possible disruption to global energy supplies and key shipping routes.
Thailand plans to complete a 250-kilometre section of a high-speed railway linking the country with China by 2030, as Bangkok strengthens transport links and strategic ties with Beijing.
Azerbaijan has rejected suggestions it played any official role in reported private talks between former German politicians and Russian representatives in Baku, saying the meetings were organised independently.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck southern Iran on Tuesday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment