Four New Astronauts Arrive at Space Station for Long-Duration Science Expedition

During the months-long mission, the astronauts will support a wide range of ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Four astronauts recently embarked on a science expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will support a variety of investigations to improve life on Earth and push the limits of science and innovation in space. The mission, SpaceX's 12^th crew rotation for NASA (Crew-12), launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on February 13, 2026. 

With the successful launch, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, alongside European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev joined the current ISS crew members of Expedition 74. While on the space station, the Crew-12 astronauts will work on dozens of payloads sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory^® that aim to bring value to humanity and drive a sustainable market economy in low Earth orbit. Below highlights some of the ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations the crew will support.

• Multiple projects were selected through the ISS National Lab Sustainability Challenge: Beyond Plastics, in partnership with Estée Lauder. One of these projects, led by SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute), will study aerogel formation in space, where the effects of gravity-driven convection and sedimentation are absent. Findings from this research could improve the development of lightweight, porous aerogels for capturing carbon dioxide from the air.
• Several projects were selected through the 2024 Igniting Innovation solicitation for cancer and other disease-related research. One such investigation, led by startup Eascra Biotech and researchers at the University of Connecticut, aims to advance the production of innovative nanomaterials in space to improve precision cancer treatment on Earth. Janus base nanomaterials, which are composed of synthetic molecules that self-assemble into structures resembling human DNA, can carry drugs into hard-to-penetrate solid tumors that are difficult to treat. The targeted drug delivery also helps to reduce harmful side effects. This research builds on multiple previous investigations from this team.
• A project from Nikon, a world leader in digital imaging and precision optics, will test a newly customized microscope designed to observe the growth and behavior of human cells and tissues on the space station and in other controlled environments. Nikon aims for this instrument to become the most advanced off-planet microscope for evaluating microphysiological systems, including tissue chips, which are widely used on Earth to culture human cells for disease modeling and therapeutic testing. By enabling real-time image data collection in space, Nikon's microscope could accelerate scientific discovery and provide researchers on the ground with faster, more detailed insights.
• Multiple projects funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which has supported fundamental science through the ISS National Lab for more than a decade, will help advance research in tissue engineering and the physical sciences area of transport phenomena. One NSF-funded project led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, aims to improve cartilage production by studying its growth in space. Findings from this research could lead to new treatments for patients with osteoarthritis or cartilage-related injuries.

Also flying to the space station on Crew-12 is a long-standing education project to inspire the next generation of researchers and prepare the future workforce. Tomatosphere^™, a program run by First the Seed Foundation, sends tomato seeds to the ISS for exposure to spaceflight conditions. The program then sends packets of the spaceflight seeds and seeds that remained on Earth to classrooms around the country. Students grow both sets of seeds to see how exposure to spaceflight conditions impacts plant growth.

In the coming weeks and months, the ISS National Lab will highlight additional projects launching on cargo resupply missions through NASA. To learn more about results from R&D conducted on the ISS, subscribe to Upward, the official magazine of the ISS National Lab.  

Download a high-resolution image for this release: Crew-12 Launch

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory^® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space^® (CASIS^®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab