Crew-12 wraps up ISS research mission, with return set for early October
NASA says four crew members supported studies ranging from pharmaceutical crystals to bone health and on-demand medical supplies. Their return from the International Space Station is scheduled for early October.
NASA says SpaceX Crew-12 is concluding its research mission aboard the International Space Station, with its four crew members scheduled to return to Earth in early October. The agency has not confirmed that the return has taken place.
The crew comprises NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Their work used microgravity to study how cells and materials behave in conditions that differ from those on Earth.
Research included growing pharmaceutical crystals, observing ultracold atoms and testing a bone scaffold designed to support bone-cell growth. Other studies examined engineered cartilage, stem cells and bone marrow cells, with potential applications in medicine and in understanding bone and muscle loss during spaceflight.
The crew also supported tests of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and installed a metal 3D printer. Printed parts have been returned to Earth for quality evaluation. A separate system investigated producing intravenous fluid in microgravity, which could provide a medical supply for missions with limited resupply.
NASA describes possible benefits for healthcare and future space missions, but its mission recap does not report final results from these studies. The agency says the station’s microgravity environment gives researchers a way to investigate processes that are harder to isolate on Earth.
