NASA and SpaceX delay the launch of Crew-4 to the International Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts participate in a training session at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left to right: NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 mission specialist Jessica Watkins; NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 pilot Robert “Bob” Hines; NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 commander Kjell Lindgren; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Crew-4 mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti from Italy. credit: NASA

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NASA

Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. It’s vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity."

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SpaceX

Commonly known as SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company that was founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, the company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.

” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>spacex The Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station has ended and crews are moving toward liftoff at 5:26 am EDT on Saturday, April 23 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The date adjustment provides time for mission teams to complete final preprocessing for the Crew-4 mission following the April 8 launch of the Axiom 1 (Ax-1) mission to the space station.

Steve Stitch, Director of the Commercial Crew Program at the Kennedy Space Center, participates in the flight readiness review of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at Spaceport Florida on April 15, 2022. Partners also participated international. NASA and SpaceX FRR mission managers have met to confirm that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are ready for launch. Crew-4 is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station from Kennedy Launch Complex 39A on April 23, 2022, as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off at 5:26 a.m. EDT. Credit: NASA/Kim Shevlet

Mission teams continue to monitor operational schedules with ongoing space station activities, including upcoming spacewalks and the return of Ax-1 crew members. Weather forecasting remains a control element to ensure recovery and safe launches for crew missions. The Crew-4 date also offers three consecutive launch opportunities with backups on Sunday, April 24 and Monday, April 25.

Kathy Luders, associate administrator, Space Operations Directorate, NASA Headquarters, participates in the flight readiness review for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 15, 2022. Credit: NASA

The agency’s flight readiness review was held on Friday, April 15, at Kennedy. The review focused on the readiness of SpaceX’s crew transportation system, the International Space Station and its international partners to support flight, as well as flight readiness certification.

The Crew-4 flight will carry NASA astronauts including Jill Lindgren, mission commander, Robert Haynes, pilot, and Jessica Watkins, mission specialist and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who will serve as mission specialist, to the space station for a scientific exploration mission. . The astronauts will fly a new Crew Dragon spacecraft, called Freedom, aboard a flight-tested Falcon 9 rocket.

The Crew 3 astronauts will lift off off the coast of Florida following a brief drop-off with Crew 4 at the space station.

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SpaceX

Commonly known as SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company that was founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, the company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.

” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>On April 16, 2022, SpaceX’s brand-new Dragon spacecraft – named “Freedom” by the Crew-4 astronauts – It arrived at Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A following making the flight from SpaceX’s processing facility at the nearby Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida. After the Dragon docks with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the launch vehicle will blast off onto the pad and rise to the vertical launch position.

In this illustration, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft approaches the International Space Station for docking. Credit: NASA/SpaceX

Before returning to Earth in the fall of 2022, the crew will spend several months doing science and maintenance aboard the orbiting laboratory.