Expedition 62

Expedition 62
Name	Expedition 62
Mission type	Long-duration mission
Operator	NASA / Roscosmos / European Space Agency / Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Start date	2020-02-06
End date	2020-04-09
Crew	Alexey Ovchinin; Nick Hague; Christina Koch; Jessica Meir; Oleg Skripochka; Andrew Morgan
Spacecraft	Soyuz MS-12; Soyuz MS-15; SpaceX Crew Dragon
Orbit	Low Earth orbit
Programme	International Space Station
Previous	Expedition 61
Next	Expedition 63

Expedition 62 was a long-duration crewed mission to the International Space Station in early 2020. The expedition involved multinational crew members from Roscosmos, NASA, and European Space Agency partners, and overlapped with commercial crew operations by SpaceX. The mission conducted scientific research across disciplines, maintained station systems, and executed extravehicular activities in coordination with partner agencies.

Crew

The six-person complement included Alexey Ovchinin (commander, Roscosmos), Nick Hague (flight engineer, NASA), Christina Koch (flight engineer, NASA), Jessica Meir (flight engineer, NASA), Oleg Skripochka (flight engineer, Roscosmos), and Andrew Morgan (flight engineer, NASA). Crew selection drew on training at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Johnson Space Center, and facilities run by European Astronaut Centre and Canadian Space Agency partners. Mission control coordination involved Mission Control Center Moscow, Mission Control Center Houston, and Russian Mission Control Center elements interacting with SpaceX Mission Control and international flight directors.

Mission objectives

Primary objectives encompassed station maintenance, international logistics handover, and execution of research portfolios defined by NASA and Roscosmos as well as experiment sponsors such as ESA, JAXA, and CSA. Objectives included support for microgravity life sciences represented by projects linked to National Institutes of Health collaborations, physical sciences investigations in partnership with European Space Research and Technology Centre and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and technology demonstrations coordinated with SpaceX and Boeing commercial crew initiatives. Operational goals featured continuing upgrades from Expedition 60 and handoffs to Expedition 63 crews, along with cargo operations involving Progress spacecraft, Cygnus spacecraft, and commercial resupply missions by Northrop Grumman and Arianespace contractors.

Timeline and mission highlights

Expedition milestones began with handover command activities concurrent with the undocking of Soyuz MS-12 and arrival events tied to Soyuz MS-15 operations. Notable highlights included integrated science runs linked to Microgravity Science Glovebox campaigns, human physiology cohorts coordinated with European Space Agency and National Science Foundation investigators, and the first all-female spacewalk continuity after a publicly noted event involving Christina Koch and Jessica Meir in earlier increments. The mission supported operations during global events that required coordination with White House policy offices and international partners including Roscosmos State Corporation leadership. Crew rotations and return operations were accomplished through nominal reentries and landings overseen by Roskosmos recovery teams and NASA flight surgeons.

Spacecraft and equipment

Primary crew transportation involved Soyuz MS-13 and Soyuz MS-15 vehicles for crew arrival and departure phases, while commercial operations interfaced with SpaceX Crew Dragon hardware for cargo and demonstration flights. Station equipment upgrades included avionics replacements tied to suppliers such as Honeywell International, thermal control work involving components from Thales Alenia Space, and life support maintenance linked to systems developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation partners. Scientific platforms aboard the station used racks managed by NASA Glenn Research Center and payload integration overseen by Marshall Space Flight Center and European Space Agency payload operations personnel.

Scientific experiments

Research portfolios covered human research studies including bone and muscle physiology coordinated with National Institutes of Health and European Space Agency teams, plant growth experiments connected to NASA Ames Research Center and JAXA investigators, and materials science investigations conducted with support from Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Experiments leveraged facilities such as the Columbus module, Kibo module, and Destiny laboratory, addressing biology, combustion science, fluid physics, and technology demonstrations with industry partners like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Data contributions supported peer-reviewed work across institutions including University of Colorado, University of Tokyo, and Imperial College London.

Spacewalks

Extravehicular activities during the expedition built on procedures from prior EVAs that involved coordination with Canadian Space Agency robotics teams and European Space Agency ground controllers. Spacewalks addressed maintenance tasks on truss structures and external payload installations using hardware such as the Extravehicular Mobility Unit and tools developed by NASA Johnson Space Center engineers. EVA planning integrated timeline management by Mission Control Center Houston and safety oversight by Roscosmos flight surgeons.

Mission patch and insignia

The expedition patch featured iconography designed by members of the astronaut corps and approved by NASA and Roscosmos insignia committees, reflecting station orbit elements and crew heritage with symbolic nods to partner institutions including European Space Agency and JAXA. The insignia design process involved artists with previous work for missions like ISS Expedition 61 and consultation with program historians from National Air and Space Museum curators.

Category:International Space Station expeditions