NASA Crew-12 Launch Preparations | International Space Station

NASA Crew-12 Launch Preparations | International Space Station

Crew-12, SpaceX, and NASA completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities on Monday, February 9, 2026, in Florida.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft on top stands vertical on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.

Crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, from left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, participate in a news conference from Astronaut Crew Quarters inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

NASA Crew-12 emblem

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members achieved a critical prelaunch milestone by completing their dry dress rehearsal at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, February 9, 2026..

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia practiced launch day operations, including suiting up, traveling to the pad, and boarding the spacecraft. These operations are done without fueling the rocket, which is why it is called a dry dress rehearsal.

The launch team also practiced countdown operations and confirmed the spacecraft, crew access, and emergency egress procedures are on track before fueling the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission adjusted its launch date due to forecast weather conditions along the flight path of the Dragon spacecraft. Launch is scheduled no earlier than 5:38 a.m. EST, Thursday, Feb. 12, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

Watch the launch here: 
http://spacex.com/launches/crew12

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission will see four people embark on a long-duration science expedition to the International Space Station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway are the NASA astronauts supporting the mission. Meir will serve as commander and Hathaway will serve as the Crew-12 pilot. The crew also has two mission specialists, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia. 

Crew-12 is the 12th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 13th flight with astronauts for NASA, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

They have trained for their mission across the world, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, and international training locations. Once their Dragon spacecraft arrives at the space station, they will spend their eight month long duration mission conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the orbiting lab.

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev
NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.Kennedy Space Center

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Dates: Feb. 7-9, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew12 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Unusual Aurora over Scotland | Earth Science

Unusual Aurora over Scotland | Earth Science

Photographer Alan C. Tough: "When I was photographing the great aurora of January 19-20, a faint green homogeneous patch (blob) appeared to the left of the main auroral display: it suddenly brightened, just like someone switching on a spotlight. After a few seconds it faded away again. It is possible that this was an Isolated Proton Aurora (IPA), although I had always assumed these were a fainter and more diffuse phenomenon."

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. To the south-east Scotland has its only land border that is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared with England. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and south, the North Sea to the north-east and east, and the Irish Sea to the west.

Image Credit: Alan C. Tough
Location: Elgin, Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

Alan Tough's website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7776810@N07/
Release Date: Jan. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #IsolatedProtonAurora #IPA #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Photography #Photographer #AlanTough #Elgin #Moray #Scotland #UnitedKingdom #UK #STEM #Education

Journey to Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus | Hubble Space Telescope

Journey to Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus | Hubble Space Telescope

Zooming in on NGC 7049, a mysterious looking galaxy with globular clusters dotted throughout its halo. The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of galaxy NGC 7049 in the Indus constellation visible in the southern sky. A family of globular clusters appears as glittering spots dusted around the galaxy halo. Astronomers study the globular clusters in NGC 7049 to learn more about its formation and evolution. The dust lanes, appearing as a lacy web, are dramatically backlit by the millions of stars in the halo of NGC 7049.

Distance from Earth: 100 million light years

A lenticular, meaning “lens-shaped,” galaxy is a type that sits between more familiar spiral galaxies and elliptical galaxies. It is also less common than spirals and ellipticals—partly because these galaxies have a somewhat ambiguous appearance, making it hard to determine if it is a spiral, an elliptical, or something in between. Many of the known lenticular galaxies sport features of both spiral and elliptical. 

Credit: NASA, ESA and W. Harris (McMaster University, Ontario, Canada)

Duration: 56 seconds
Release Date: April 7, 2009

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7049 #LenticularGalaxies #Stars #GlobularClusters #IndusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus—Backlit Dust Lanes | Hubble

Close-up: Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus—Backlit Dust Lanes | Hubble

The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of galaxy NGC 7049 in the Indus constellation visible in the southern sky. A family of globular clusters appears as glittering spots dusted around the galaxy halo. Astronomers study the globular clusters in NGC 7049 to learn more about its formation and evolution. The dust lanes, appearing as a lacy web, are dramatically backlit by the millions of stars in the halo of NGC 7049.

Distance from Earth: 100 million light years

A lenticular, meaning “lens-shaped,” galaxy is a type that sits between more familiar spiral galaxies and elliptical galaxies. It is also less common than spirals and ellipticals—partly because these galaxies have a somewhat ambiguous appearance, making it hard to determine if it is a spiral, an elliptical, or something in between. Many of the known lenticular galaxies sport features of both spiral and elliptical. 

Credit: NASA, ESA and W. Harris (McMaster University, Ontario, Canada)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: April 7, 2009

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7049 #LenticularGalaxies #Stars #GlobularClusters #IndusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus: Backlit Dust Lanes | Hubble

Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus: Backlit Dust Lanes | Hubble

The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of galaxy NGC 7049 in the Indus constellation visible in the southern sky. A family of globular clusters appears as glittering spots dusted around the galaxy halo. Astronomers study the globular clusters in NGC 7049 to learn more about its formation and evolution. The dust lanes, appearing as a lacy web, are dramatically backlit by the millions of stars in the halo of NGC 7049.

Distance from Earth: 100 million light years

A lenticular, meaning “lens-shaped,” galaxy is a type that sits between more familiar spiral galaxies and elliptical galaxies. It is also less common than spirals and ellipticals—partly because these galaxies have a somewhat ambiguous appearance, making it hard to determine if it is a spiral, an elliptical, or something in between. Many of the known lenticular galaxies sport features of both spiral and elliptical. 

Credit: NASA, ESA and W. Harris (McMaster University, Ontario, Canada)
Release Date: April 7, 2009

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7049 #LenticularGalaxies #Stars #GlobularClusters #IndusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Crew-12's SpaceX Falcon 9 & Dragon Spacecraft | International Space Station

NASA Crew-12's SpaceX Falcon 9 & Dragon Spacecraft  | International Space Station

NASA Crew-12 portrait

The four members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station pose together for an official crew portrait. From left are, Roscosmos cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, Commander and Pilot respectively, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Mission Specialist Sophie Adenot.

NASA Crew-12 emblem

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are vertical at pad 40 in Florida for NASA’s Crew-12 Mission. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 6:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The targeted docking time is approximately 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 12.

Watch the launch here: http://spacex.com/launches/crew12

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission will see four people embark on a long-duration science expedition to the International Space Station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway are the NASA astronauts supporting the mission. Meir will serve as commander and Hathaway will serve as the Crew-12 pilot. The crew also has two mission specialists, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia. 

The four crew will perform a full rehearsal of launch day activities on the morning of Monday, Feb. 9, including putting on their spacesuits, going to their launch pad, and strapping into the Dragon spacecraft.

Mission managers from NASA and SpaceX also will discuss the preparations and launch status at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.Spacecraft models

Crew-12 is the 12th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 13th flight with astronauts for NASA, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

They have trained for their mission across the world, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, and international training locations. Once their Dragon spacecraft arrives at the space station, they will spend their eight month long duration mission conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the orbiting lab.

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev
NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.Kennedy Space Center

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew12 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Fine Ring Nebula in the Norma Constellation | New Technology Telescope

The Fine Ring Nebula in the Norma Constellation | New Technology Telescope

The hazy and aptly named Fine Ring Nebula, shown here, is an unusual planetary nebula. Planetary nebulae form when dying stars, having expanded into a red giant phase, expel a shell of gas as they evolve into white dwarfs. Most planetary nebulae are either spherical or elliptical in shape, or bipolar (featuring two symmetric lobes of material).

Distance from Earth: ~2,500 light years

However, the Fine Ring Nebula—captured here by the European Southern Observatory's Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera mounted on the New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile—looks like an almost perfect circular ring. Astronomers believe that these more unusually shaped planetary nebulae are formed when the progenitor star is actually a binary system. The interaction between the primary star and its orbiting companion shapes the ejected material.

The stellar object at the center of the Fine Ring Nebula is indeed thought to be a binary system, orbiting with a period of 2.9 days. Observations suggest that the binary pair is almost perfectly face-on from our vantage point, implying that the planetary nebula’s structure is aligned in the same way. We are looking down on a torus (doughnut shape) of ejected material, leading to the strikingly circular ring shape in the image.

Planetary nebulae are shaped by the complex interplay of many physical processes. Not only can these celestial objects be admired for their beauty, but the study of precisely how they form their striking shapes is a fascinating topic in astronomical research.

Norma is a small constellation in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere between Ara and Lupus, one of twelve drawn up in the 18th century by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and one of several depicting scientific instruments. Its name is Latin for normal, referring to a right angle, and is variously considered to represent a rule, a carpenter's square, a set square or a level. It remains one of the 88 modern constellations.

This image was made using multiple filters: light observed through B and O-III filters is shown in blue, V is shown in green, R is shown in orange, and H-alpha in red. The image is approximately 200 arcseconds across.

Learn about the New Technology Telescope:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2011

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #FineRingNebula #Shapley1 #NormaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NewTechnologyTelescope #NTT #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-21 Crew Proceeds with Planned in-Orbit Tasks | China Space Station

Shenzhou-21 Crew Proceeds with Planned in-Orbit Tasks | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-21 astronauts carried out multiple in-orbit tasks in a well-organized manner, including scientific experiments, space station upkeep, equipment maintenance, and health management over the past week, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The crew consists of mission commander Zhang Lu and astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. They have spent over three months in orbit, and are all in good condition.

In the field of space medicine, the trio collected blood samples that will be used to study the patterns of change and adaptation mechanisms in astronauts' bones, nerves, and cerebral vessels during long-duration spaceflight.

Using laptops, the crew also conducted experiments related to the effects of long-term exposure to microgravity on upper and lower visual field differences and their cognitive neural mechanisms.

In the realm of microgravity physical science, the three astronauts cleaned samples in non-container experimental chambers, performed electrode maintenance, cleaned lens covers, disassembled and reassembled fluid dynamics experimental modules and replaced experimental samples.

In terms of onboard environmental monitoring and equipment maintenance, they used a dew point meter to monitor the thermal environment inside the cabin and conducted air cleanliness tests. They also sorted supplies and cleaned the cabin.

For health management, the astronauts utilized devices with adsorption force to keep their leg muscles strong and completed eye, vision and optic nerve tests.

The Shenzhou-21 crewed spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct 31, 2025. The crew onboard completed their mission's first series of extravehicular activities on Dec 9.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞)  Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 42 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityExperiments #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Aurora over Finland | Earth Science

Aurora over Finland | Earth Science

Photographer Gregory Ash: "Immediately after darkness, the sky exploded with a large twisting and undulating rainbow arc beyond the mountain range in Kilpisjarvi, Finland. At its peak, the snow turned green in the forest and along the snowmobile trail."

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia.

Image Credit: Gregory Ash
Location: Kilpisjarvi, Finland
Gregory's website: https://www.instagram.com/gregash28/
Image Date: Feb. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #GregoryAsh #Astrophotographers #Kilpisjarvi #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

Close-up: Rising Gas Bubble in Galaxy NGC 3079's Core | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: Rising Gas Bubble in Galaxy NGC 3079's Core | Hubble Space Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope snapshot reveals dramatic activities within the core of the galaxy NGC 3079, where a lumpy bubble of hot gas is rising from a cauldron of glowing matter. This picture shows the bubble in the center of the galaxy's disk. The structure is more than 3,000 light-years wide and rises 3, 500 light-years above the galaxy's disk.

These NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope snapshots reveal dramatic activities within the core of the galaxy NGC 3079, where a lumpy bubble of hot gas is rising from a cauldron of glowing matter. This structure is more than 3,000 light-years wide and rises 3, 500 light-years above the galaxy's disk. Astronomers suspect that the bubble is being blown by 'winds' (high-speed streams of particles) released during a burst of star formation. Gaseous filaments at the top of the bubble are whirling around in a vortex and are being expelled into space. Eventually, this gas will rain down upon the galaxy's disk where it may collide with gas clouds, compress them, and form a new generation of stars.

Distance: ~50 million light years

Credit: NASA/ESA, Gerald Cecil (University of North Carolina), Sylvain Veilleux (University of Maryland), Joss Bland-Hawthorn (Anglo-Australian Observatory), and Alex Filippenko (University of California at Berkeley)
Release Date: Aug. 16, 2001

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC3079 #IRAS0958559P15 #BarredSpiralGalaxy #UrsaMajorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Infographics #STEM #Education

Galaxy NGC 3079 in Ursa Major: Wide-view | Kitt Peak National Observatory

Galaxy NGC 3079 in Ursa Major: Wide-view | Kitt Peak National Observatory

If you could speed up time and watch this galaxy evolve, the center of NGC 3079 would bubble with hot gas not unlike the shallow lava pits of Hawaii. A burst of star formation is creating tremendous stellar winds and accelerating particles and gas to many thousands of light years above (and beneath) the plane of the galaxy. These filaments of gas glow strongly in the emission given off by excited hydrogen atoms. Interestingly, this gas will not reach escape velocity, but will rain back down onto the plane of the galaxy and potentially trigger more star formation. This colorful spiral galaxy is at a distance of 50 million light years away.

This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center.

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Jeff Hapeman/Adam Block
Release Date: March 13, 2014

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC3079 #UrsaMajorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #STEM #Education

Hot Binary Star System AB7 in Nearby Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxy | ESO

Hot Binary Star System AB7 in Nearby Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxy | ESO

AB7, also known as SMC WR7, is a binary star in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. A Wolf–Rayet star and a supergiant companion of spectral type O orbit in a period of 19.56 days. The system is surrounded by a ring-shaped nebula known as a bubble nebula.

Distance from Earth: ~180,000 light years

AB7 is a binary star, consisting of one WR-star—highly evolved massive star-and a mid-age massive companion of spectral type O. These exceptional stars have very strong stellar winds: they continuously eject energetic particles—like the "solar wind" from the Sun—around 10 to 1,000 million times more intensely than our star. These powerful winds exert an enormous pressure on the surrounding interstellar material and forcefully shape those clouds into "bubbles", well visible in the photos by their blue color. AB7 is particularly remarkable: the associated huge nebula and HeII region indicate that this star is one of the, if not the, hottest WR-star known so far, with a surface temperature in excess of 120,000 degrees! Just outside this nebula, a small network of green filaments is visible—they are the remains of another supernova explosion.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: April 9, 2003

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #AB7 #SMCWR7 #WolfRayetStars #LHA115N76A #BinaryStarSystems #StellarWinds #TucanaConstellation #SmallMagellanicCloud #SMC #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #FORS2 #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Milan, Italy by Night | International Space Station

Milan, Italy by Night | International Space Station

As the world watches the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo, astronauts aboard the International Space Station continue capturing stunning images of cities across the globe, including Milan itself. The International Space Station is a symbol of what nations can achieve together, built and operated through decades of partnership among NASA and other space agencies around the world.

From orbit, borders fade and cooperation takes center stage—a fitting reminder as athletes from every corner of the planet come together in Italy for a celebration of unity, skill, and global spirit.

The metropolitan area of Milan (or Milano) illuminates the Italian region of Lombardy, in a pattern evocative of a patchwork quilt, in this astronaut photograph. The city of Milan proper forms a dense cluster of lights at image center left; brilliant white lights indicate the historic center of the city where the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) is located. Large dark regions to the south of Milan contain mostly agricultural fields. To the north, numerous smaller cities are interspersed with agricultural fields giving way to forested areas as one approaches the Italian Alps (not shown). Low patchy clouds diffuse the city lights, producing isolated regions in the image that appear blurred.

The Milan urban area is located within the Po Valley, a large plain bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the south and the Italian Alps to the north. Milan has the largest metropolitan area in Italy, and the fifth largest in the European Union. It is one of Europe's major transportation, industrial, and commerce hubs, and is also a global center of fashion and culture.

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center

Image Details: Nikon D3S Electronic Still Camera, Focal length: 200mm, Spacecraft Altitude: 187 nautical miles (346km)

Image Date: Feb. 22, 2011

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #OlympicGames #Olympics #WinterOlympics #WinterOlympics2026 #Milan #Milano #Italy #Italia #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

NASA Crew-12's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket & Dragon | International Space Station

NASA Crew-12's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket & Dragon | International Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission will see four people embark on a long-duration science expedition to the International Space Station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway are the NASA astronauts supporting the mission. Meir will serve as commander and Hathaway will serve as the Crew-12 pilot. The crew also has two mission specialists, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia. 

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission has been cleared to proceed with launch preparations following a Flight Readiness Review with NASA, SpaceX, and the agency’s international partners. Liftoff of Crew-12 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remains on track for no earlier than 6:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral.

Already in quarantine, the Crew-12 crew members arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday night to begin their final preparations ahead of launch. On Saturday, Feb. 7, SpaceX will roll the rocket and spacecraft to pad 40 where it will be raised into its launch position. The crew also will take questions during a virtual news conference from Astronaut Crew Quarters at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, available on NASA Kennedy’s YouTube channel. This will be the crew’s final media opportunity before launch. The four crew will perform a full rehearsal of launch day activities on the morning of Monday, Feb. 9, including putting on their spacesuits, going to their launch pad, and strapping into the Dragon spacecraft.

Mission managers from NASA and SpaceX also will discuss the preparations and launch status at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9 from Kennedy.

As part of the agency’s Flight Readiness Review, NASA evaluated the findings from SpaceX’s review of a Starlink mission where a Falcon 9 second stage experienced an issue during preparations for its deorbit burn. NASA and SpaceX have determined, since the Falcon 9 second stage flies a different deorbit profile for NASA’s crewed missions, there is no increased risk to crew safety during ascent. The agency and SpaceX are “go” for Crew-12 to launch to the International Space Station.

Crew-12 is the 12th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 13th flight with astronauts for NASA, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

They have trained for their mission across the world, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, and international training locations. Once their Dragon spacecraft arrives at the space station, they will spend their eight month long duration mission conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the orbiting lab.

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Release Date: Feb. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew12 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Crew-12's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket & Dragon | International Space Station

NASA Crew-12's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket & Dragon | International Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission will see four people embark on a long-duration science expedition to the International Space Station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway are the NASA astronauts supporting the mission. Meir will serve as commander and Hathaway will serve as the Crew-12 pilot. The crew also has two mission specialists, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia. 

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission has been cleared to proceed with launch preparations following a Flight Readiness Review with NASA, SpaceX, and the agency’s international partners. Liftoff of Crew-12 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remains on track for no earlier than 6:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral.

Already in quarantine, the Crew-12 crew members arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday night to begin their final preparations ahead of launch. On Saturday, Feb. 7, SpaceX will roll the rocket and spacecraft to pad 40 where it will be raised into its launch position. The crew also will take questions during a virtual news conference from Astronaut Crew Quarters at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, available on NASA Kennedy’s YouTube channel. This will be the crew’s final media opportunity before launch. The four crew will perform a full rehearsal of launch day activities on the morning of Monday, Feb. 9, including putting on their spacesuits, going to their launch pad, and strapping into the Dragon spacecraft.

Mission managers from NASA and SpaceX also will discuss the preparations and launch status at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9 from Kennedy.

As part of the agency’s Flight Readiness Review, NASA evaluated the findings from SpaceX’s review of a Starlink mission where a Falcon 9 second stage experienced an issue during preparations for its deorbit burn. NASA and SpaceX have determined, since the Falcon 9 second stage flies a different deorbit profile for NASA’s crewed missions, there is no increased risk to crew safety during ascent. The agency and SpaceX are “go” for Crew-12 to launch to the International Space Station.

Crew-12 is the 12th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 13th flight with astronauts for NASA, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

They have trained for their mission across the world, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, and international training locations. Once their Dragon spacecraft arrives at the space station, they will spend their eight month long duration mission conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the orbiting lab.

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Video Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Duration: 17 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew12 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Mission: Launch Day Nears | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Mission: Launch Day Nears | International Space Station

The four crew members representing NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Mission to the International Space Station pose for a portrait at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. From left are, Roscosmos cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, Crew-12 Pilot and Commander respectively, and European Space Agency astronaut and Mission Specialist Sophie Adenot of France. 

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 travels by air from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of their launch to the International Space Station.

European Space Agency astronaut and Mission Specialist Sophie Adenot of France: "L-4! ✈️ We landed last night at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on the runway where space shuttles touched down at the end of a mission! Woohoo!

Just a few more few days of quarantine at the Astronaut Crew Quarters before lift-off!!! 🚀"

Crew-12 Pilot, Commander and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "On the (L-) 11th day of quarantine my mission gave to meeeeee 🎶, an Artemis crew for all to see! 🎶We’re honored to be quarantining side by side with our friends on the NASA Artemis II crew (or at least their flat versions, spotted en route to our press conference yesterday). It’s certainly a very exciting time to be an astronaut. Depending on how the timing works out, we may even have the opportunity to talk to them from the International Space Station! Go Artemis II, go Crew-XII!"

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 in their Dragon spacesuits

Crew-12 Mission emblem

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission will see four people embark on a long-duration science expedition to the International Space Station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway are the NASA astronauts supporting the mission. Meir will serve as commander and Hathaway will serve as the Crew-12 pilot. The crew also has two mission specialists, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia. 

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission has been cleared to proceed with launch preparations following a Flight Readiness Review with NASA, SpaceX, and the agency’s international partners. Liftoff of Crew-12 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remains on track for no earlier than 6:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral.

Already in quarantine, the Crew-12 crew members arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday night to begin their final preparations ahead of launch. On Saturday, Feb. 7, SpaceX will roll the rocket and spacecraft to pad 40 where it will be raised into its launch position. The crew also will take questions during a virtual news conference from Astronaut Crew Quarters at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, available on NASA Kennedy’s YouTube channel. This will be the crew’s final media opportunity before launch. The four crew will perform a full rehearsal of launch day activities on the morning of Monday, Feb. 9, including putting on their spacesuits, going to their launch pad, and strapping into the Dragon spacecraft.

Mission managers from NASA and SpaceX also will discuss the preparations and launch status at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9 from Kennedy.

As part of the agency’s Flight Readiness Review, NASA evaluated the findings from SpaceX’s review of a Starlink mission where a Falcon 9 second stage experienced an issue during preparations for its deorbit burn. NASA and SpaceX have determined, since the Falcon 9 second stage flies a different deorbit profile for NASA’s crewed missions, there is no increased risk to crew safety during ascent. The agency and SpaceX are “go” for Crew-12 to launch to the International Space Station.

Crew-12 is the 12th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 13th flight with astronauts for NASA, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

They have trained for their mission across the world, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, and international training locations. Once their Dragon spacecraft arrives at the space station, they will spend their eight month long duration mission conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the orbiting lab.

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA/James Blair
Image Dates: Jan. 30-Feb. 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew12 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education