• The SpaceX DragonFreedomcapsule carrying ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, docked with the International Space Station on 14 February, at 20:15 GMT/21:15 CET, marking the official start of ESA’s εpsilon mission. • The crew of four were launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, at 10:15 GMT/11:15 CET on Friday 13 February. • After spending about 34 hours orbiting Earth and catching up with the International Space Station, the members of Crew-12 prepared for docking. • First-time flyers Sophie Adenot and Jack Hathaway, both with a test-pilot background, used this time to familiarise themselves with living and working in microgravity. • Once the hatches were opened, Crew‑12 was welcomed on board by NASA astronaut Christopher Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud‑Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, who have been on the Station since their arrival on a Soyuz in November 2025. • ESA’s Sophie Adenot and NASA’s Jack Hathaway then received their astronaut wings from Station Commander Sergei Kud‑Sverchkov during a short ceremony.

Article Summaries:

  • Official start of ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot’s εpsilon mission The SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule carrying ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, docked with the International Space Station on 14 February, at 20:15 GMT/21:15 CET, marking the official start of ESA’s εpsilon mission. The crew of four were launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, at 10:15 GMT/11:15 CET on Friday 13 February. After spending about 34 hours orbiting Earth and catching up with the International Space Statio

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