The ISS space station remains empty, Space X blocks orbital flights

Quattro astronautsthey are preparing to fly towards theInternational Space Station (ISS)next week, after the previous crew’s mission was aborted by amedical evacuation. The launch is scheduled forFebruary 11thbut the space society of Elon Musk, SpaceXannounced earlier this week that it would ground all flights of its rocketFalcon 9to investigate an issue, which may push back the launch date.

This glitch is the latest in a series of incidents surrounding this new mission, calledCrew-12which includes US astronautsJessica Meir e Jack Hathawaythe French astronautSophie Adenotand the Russian cosmonautAndrey Fedyaev. This crew will replace Crew-11, which returned to Earth in January, a month early, following thefirst medical evacuation in the history of the space station.

Medical evacuation and mission postponements

La NASAhe declined to reveal details about the health issue that cut the mission short. Since then, thescientific laboratorywhich has been orbiting 400 kilometers above the Earth for 25 years, operated with aminimum crew of three people. Following themedical evacuation, NASA brought forward the date of the Crew-12 flight by a few days. The launch was also scheduled to coincide with the premierelunar missionof NASA in over half a century, but after detecting afuel leakDuring final tests this week, the US space agency decided to postpone the mission to Earth’s satellite to6 March.

The future of the international space station

Once on board, the astronauts will be one of the last crews to live on the space station. ThereInternational Space Station (ISS)which has continuously hosted a crew for the last quarter of a century, is now nearing the end of itslife cycle e la sua decommissioning is scheduled for 2030. The station, about the size of a football field, is one of the few areas where thecooperationbetween Western countries and theRussiait was retained after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Crew tensions and preparation crew-12

The missionCrew-12however, has not been exempt fromtensions. In November, the Russian cosmonaut, long expected for the mission, wasremoved from the teampresumably due to suspicions ofespionageaccording to analysts, although NASA has not confirmed the news. THE’Russian space agency Roscosmosshe merely mentioned a transfer to another position. His successor was chosen based on his flight experience during the 2023 Crew-6 mission. The four astronauts of this new mission will lead numerous experimentsincluding the study of the effects ofmicrogravityon their bodies, during theeight monthsspent on the space station.

The key members and the launch

L’americana Jessica Meirwho previously worked as a marine biologist in extreme environments, will lead the crew.Sophie Adenotwill become thesecond French woman to travel in spacefollowing in the footsteps of Claudie Haigneré, who served on the Mir space station. When Haigneré’s mission took place, Adenot was 14 years old. “It was a revelation“, said the helicopter pilot recently. “At that moment I said to myself: one day, I will be that one.” The launch of the missionCrew-12is scheduled forFebruary 11th alle 11:00 GMT da Cape CanaveralFlorida. If it is cancelled, there may be further attempts over the next two days.