The Crew-4 objective will carry NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to the International Space Station for their planned science objective as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program.
SpaceXs new Dragon spacecraft– called “Freedom” by the Crew-4 astronauts– arrived at Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A on April 16, 2022, after making the journey from SpaceXs processing center at neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: SpaceX
The Falcon 9 will speed up Dragon to an orbital speed of 17,500 miles per hour prior to spacecraft separation and rendezvous and docking with the space station. This will be the fourth objective for this Falcon 9, which formerly introduced SpaceXs 22nd business resupply services objective and Crew-3 for NASA, in addition to the Turkish interactions satellite, Turksat-5B. Flying team on a fourth-flight booster will be a very first for the Commercial Crew Program and a substantial accomplishment for the program and market.
Crew-4s arrival to the orbiting laboratory is prepared for around 6 a.m. EDT Sunday, April 24, followed by a short overlap with NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, and ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, who flew to the station as part of the agencys SpaceX Crew-3 objective in November 2021.
Tune in to NASA television or the companys site for live coverage of objective activities, starting Friday at 9:30 p.m. with the prelaunch press conference. Release day coverage, which also can be discovered here, begins Saturday at 1:45 a.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon set up to release NASAs Crew-4 astronauts have been mated prior to presenting of the garage at Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A. Credit: SpaceX
The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft for NASAs Crew-4 mission is now mated to the Falcon 9 rocket that will release it on its flight to the International Space Station.
On Sunday, April 17, the day after teams transferred the spacecraft from SpaceXs processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, into the hangar at close-by Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A, the space capsule was attached to the rocket in a horizontal position.
The launch automobile– with Dragon atop– was rolled out to the launch pad and it will be raised to a vertical position today, April 19, in preparation for launch. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 is set up for 5:26 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 23.