Renowned space exploration entity, SpaceX, is poised to launch its Crew-12 astronaut mission on February 11, following a brief grounding due to an upper stage issue with the Falcon 9 rocket. According to Space, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized the rocket's return to flight, paving the way for the highly anticipated mission. The crew, comprising NASA's Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency, will embark on a roughly nine-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule "Freedom". As Space reports, the FAA oversaw and accepted the findings of the SpaceX-led investigation, citing the probable root cause of the issue as the Falcon 9 stage 2 engine's failure to ignite prior to the deorbit burn. With the necessary preventative measures in place, the Falcon 9 vehicle has been cleared to return to flight, and the Crew-12 mission is set to proceed as scheduled. The successful launch will mark a significant milestone, as the ISS will once again be staffed by its normal complement of seven crewmembers, following a period of reduced occupancy since January 15.
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