What This New SpaceX Mission Is Doing at the ISS

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS), bringing four astronauts from the United States, Japan, and Russia for a six-month mission in low Earth orbit.

The international team will carry out science experiments, test landing techniques for future Moon missions, and study how space affects food growth. Two of the astronauts, Americans Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, are joined by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov in a mission that highlights global cooperation in space.

The crew will simulate Moon landings using handheld controllers and display screens, training for upcoming Artemis program missions targeting the lunar South Pole. Among their cargo are Armenian pomegranate seeds, which scientists will use to study how microgravity influences plant growth compared to seeds kept on Earth.