Astronomy:SpaceX Crew-4
Crew Dragon Freedom launches to the ISS with the crew members of Crew-4 onboard. | |
Names | USCV-4 |
---|---|
Mission type | ISS crew transport |
Operator | SpaceX |
Mission duration | 6 months (planned)[1][2] 808 days and 15 hours (in progress) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Dragon |
Spacecraft type | Crew Dragon |
Manufacturer | SpaceX |
Launch mass | 12,519 kg (27,600 lb) |
Landing mass | 9,616 kg (21,200 lb) |
Crew | |
Crew size | 4 |
Members |
|
Expedition | Expedition 67 / 68 |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 27 April 2022, 07:52:55 UTC[3] |
Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1067.4) |
Launch site | Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A |
Contractor | SpaceX |
End of mission | |
Landing date | October 2022 (planned) |
Landing site | Atlantic Ocean / Gulf of Mexico |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Inclination | 51.60° |
Docking with ISS | |
Docking port | Harmony zenith |
Docking date | 27 April 2022, 23:37 UTC |
Undocking date | 12 October 2022 (planned) |
Time docked | 807 days and 23 hours (in progress) |
SpaceX Crew-4 mission patch Hines, Cristoforetti, Watkins, and Lindgren (L-R) |
SpaceX Crew-4 is the Crew Dragon's fourth NASA Commercial Crew operational flight, and its seventh overall crewed orbital flight. The mission launched on 27 April 2022 at 07:52 UTC[4] before docking with the International Space Station (ISS) at 23:37 UTC. It follows shortly after the private Axiom 1 mission to the ISS earlier in the month utilizing SpaceX hardware. Three American (NASA) astronauts and one European (ESA) astronaut are onboard the mission.[5][6] [7]
Crew-4 is the maiden flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, named such by the crew because it "celebrates a fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that emanate from the unencumbered human spirit".[8] The booster used on this mission was the B1067, which makes it the first Commercial Crew mission to use a booster on its fourth flight (it previously was used to launch SpaceX Crew-3 in 2021).[9]
Crew
NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Robert Hines were announced on 12 February 2021 to the crew.[5][6] Samantha Cristoforetti was named the commander of Expedition 68 on 28 May 2021.[10] Jessica Watkins was named Mission specialist on 16 November 2021.[11] Cristoforetti was later removed as commander of Expedition 68 due to the shortening of the Crew-4 mission.[12]
Position | Astronaut | |
---|---|---|
Spacecraft commander | Kjell N. Lindgren, NASA Expedition 67 / 68 Second spaceflight | |
Pilot | Robert Hines, NASA Expedition 67 / 68 First spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 1 | Samantha Cristoforetti, ESA Expedition 67 / 68 Second spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 2 | Jessica Watkins, NASA Expedition 67 / 68 First spaceflight |
Position | Astronaut | |
---|---|---|
Spacecraft commander | Steve Bowen, NASA | |
Pilot | Not assigned, NASA | |
Mission Specialist 1 | Not assigned | |
Mission Specialist 2 | Not assigned |
Mission
The planned mission duration is around six months.[2] The European part of the mission is called Minerva,[14] named after the Roman goddess of wisdom,[15] and it is European astronaut Cristoforetti's second mission to the ISS.
File:NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 Live Launch Coverage.webm
See also
- Dragon C206 Endeavour
- Dragon C207 Resilience
- Boeing Starliner
References
- ↑ Sheetz, Michael (27 April 2022). "SpaceX launches Crew-4 mission for NASA, has now sent 26 astronauts to space in under two years". CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/27/elon-musks-spacex-launches-nasa-crew-4-astronaut-mission.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 NASA (2022). "Crew-4 Mission Overview". p. 1. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/crew-4_mission_overview.pdf. "Crew-4 is scheduled for a long duration stay of up to six months aboard station conducting science and maintenance before returning to Earth in the fall of 2022."
- ↑ Garcia, Mark. "SpaceX Crew-4 Launches to Join Station Crew Tonight". https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2022/04/27/spacex-crew-4-launches-to-join-station-crew-tonight/.
- ↑ Amanda Griffin (22 April 2022). "NASA and SpaceX Adjust Agency's Crew-4 Launch Date". NASA. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2022/04/22/nasa-and-spacex-adjust-agencys-crew-4-launch-date/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Finch, Joshua (25 April 2022). "Coverage Updated for NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 Briefing, Events, Broadcast". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/coverage-updated-for-nasa-s-spacex-crew-4-briefing-events-broadcast. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Howell, Elizabeth (23 February 2021). "These 2 NASA astronauts will fly on SpaceX's Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station in 2022". Space.com. https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-4-astronaut-assignments.
- ↑ Ellis, Kathleen (18 March 2022). "NASA, SpaceX Adjust Target Launch Date for Crew-4 Mission". NASA. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2022/03/18/nasa-spacex-adjust-target-launch-date-for-crew-4-mission/.
- ↑ Klotz, Irene (6 October 2021). "Forum - Crew-4". NASASpaceFlight.com. p. 2. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52608.msg2311210#msg2311210.
- ↑ @jeff_foust (19 Jan 2022). "Steve Stich says the Crew-4 flight will be the first commercial crew mission using a booster on its fourth flight.". https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1483820173933137932.
- ↑ "Commanding role for ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti". ESA. 28 May 2021. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Commanding_role_for_ESA_astronaut_Samantha_Cristoforetti.
- ↑ "NASA Assigns Astronaut Jessica Watkins to NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 Mission". NASA. 16 November 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-assigns-astronaut-jessica-watkins-to-nasa-s-spacex-crew-4-mission. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Revised flight plan brings change for Samantha". ESA. 2 March 2021. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Revised_flight_plan_brings_change_for_Samantha.
- ↑ "Stephen G. Bowen (Captain, USN, Ret.) NASA Astronaut". NASA. 26 April 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/stephen-g-bowen/biography. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Minerva: ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's second mission to the International Space Station". ESA. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Minerva.
- ↑ European Space Agency (3 March 2022). "Minerva patch explained". https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2022/03/Minerva_patch_explained. "Inspired by the Roman goddess of wisdom, the handicrafts and the arts, the name Minerva is a homage to the competence and sophisticated craftmanship of the men and women all over the world who make human spaceflight possible."