NASA SpaceX Crew-12 ending with early October return planned

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 is ending. The crew is scheduled to head home from the International Space Station in early October.

The astronauts are Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot and Andrey Fedyaev. Meir and Hathaway are with NASA, Adenot is with ESA (European Space Agency), and Fedyaev is with Roscosmos.

The flight uses a Dragon spacecraft. Its status is ending, and the crew is scheduled to return in early October from the International Space Station.

Crew-12 supports research that benefits life on Earth and prepares humans for deep-space missions.

Experiments include Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory (ADSEP-PIL-15) crystal-growth work, the Cold Atom Lab's efforts to cool, trap and study atoms, and GEARS testing for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A recent upgrade to the Cold Atom Lab increases the number of atoms produced.

Green Bone is a bone scaffold made from wood; osteoporosis affects more than 200 million people globally. Colloidal Solids are soft materials made from tiny particles suspended in water.

NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 delivered fresh produce, and the Cygnus XL spacecraft carried research projects.

For readers tracking the lunar industry, the mission is relevant because it uses SpaceX's Dragon, involves NASA, ESA and Roscosmos, and supports research that prepares humans for deep-space missions.

The listed payloads include crystal-growth experiments, atom experiments, a bone scaffold made from wood, soft materials, antibiotic-resistance testing, fresh produce and research projects. This connects station research with SpaceX's Dragon and NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24.

The crew is scheduled to head home from the International Space Station, with the return planned for early October.