SpaceX Crew-4

SpaceX Crew-4 was 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[6] before docking with the International Space Station (ISS) at 23:37 UTC. It followed 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 were on board the mission.[7][8] [9]

SpaceX Crew-4
Crew Dragon Freedom launches to the ISS with the crew members of Crew-4 onboard.
NamesUSCV-4
Mission typeISS crew transport
OperatorSpaceX
COSPAR ID2022-042A
SATCAT no.52318Edit this on Wikidata
Mission duration170 days, 13 hours and 3 minutes
[1][2]
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon Freedom
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Launch mass12,519 kg (27,600 lb)
Landing mass9,616 kg (21,200 lb)
Crew
Crew size4
Members
ExpeditionExpedition 67 / 68
Start of mission
Launch date27 April 2022, 07:52:55 UTC[3]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (B1067.4)
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
Recovered byMegan (ship)
Landing date14 October 2022, 20:55 UTC[4]
Landing siteAtlantic Ocean
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.64°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony zenith
Docking date27 April 2022, 23:37 UTC
Undocking date14 October 2022, 16:05 UTC[5]
Time docked169 days and 16 hours

SpaceX Crew-4 mission patch

Hines, Cristoforetti, Watkins, and Lindgren (L-R)
 

Crew-4 was 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".[10] 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).[11]

Crew

NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Robert Hines were announced on 12 February 2021 to the crew.[7][8] Samantha Cristoforetti was named the commander of Expedition 68 on 28 May 2021.[12] Jessica Watkins was named mission specialist on 16 November 2021.[13] Cristoforetti was later removed as commander of Expedition 68 due to the shortening of the Crew-4 mission.[14]

Prime crew
Position Astronaut
Spacecraft commander United States Kjell N. Lindgren, NASA
Expedition 67 / 68
Second spaceflight
Pilot United States Robert Hines, NASA
Expedition 67 / 68
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Italy Samantha Cristoforetti, ESA
Expedition 67 / 68
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 United States Jessica Watkins, NASA
Expedition 67 / 68
First spaceflight
Backup crew
Position Astronaut
Spacecraft commander United States Steve Bowen, NASA
Pilot United States Not assigned, NASA
Mission Specialist 1 Not assigned
Mission Specialist 2 Not assigned

[15]

Mission

The mission duration was 170 days.[4] The European part of the mission was called Minerva,[16] named after the Roman goddess of wisdom,[17] and it was European astronaut Cristoforetti's second mission to the ISS.

SpaceX Crew-4
  • Crew-4 astronauts before flight
    Crew-4 astronauts before flight
  • ISS configuration during Crew-4
    ISS configuration during Crew-4
  • Crew-4 and Starliner OFT-2 docked to the ISS
    Crew-4 and Starliner OFT-2 docked to the ISS
  • Freedom after reentry and splashdown
    Freedom after reentry and splashdown

See also

References
    1. Sheetz, Michael (27 April 2022). "SpaceX launches Crew-4 mission for NASA, has now sent 26 astronauts to space in under two years". CNBC. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
    2. NASA (2022). "Crew-4 Mission Overview" (PDF). NASA. p. 1. Retrieved 27 April 2022. 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.
    3. Garcia, Mark (27 April 2022). "SpaceX Crew-4 Launches to Join Station Crew Tonight". NASA. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
    4. Garcia, Mark (14 October 2022). "SpaceX Crew-4 Returns with Splashdown on Florida's Atlantic Coast". NASA. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
    5. Wall, Mike (14 October 2022). "SpaceX's Crew-4 mission leaves space station and heads for home". space.com. Retrieved 14 October 2022. Crew-4's Dragon capsule, named Freedom, undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday (Oct. 14) at 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT)
    6. Amanda Griffin (22 April 2022). "NASA and SpaceX Adjust Agency's Crew-4 Launch Date". NASA. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
    7. Finch, Joshua (25 April 2022). "Coverage Updated for NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 Briefing, Events, Broadcast". nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 27 April 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    8. 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. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
    9. Ellis, Kathleen (18 March 2022). "NASA, SpaceX Adjust Target Launch Date for Crew-4 Mission". nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
    10. Klotz, Irene (6 October 2021). "Forum - Crew-4". NASASpaceFlight.com. p. 2. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
    11. @jeff_foust (19 January 2022). "Steve Stich says the Crew-4 flight will be the first commercial crew mission using a booster on its fourth flight" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 January 2022 – via Twitter.
    12. "Commanding role for ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti". ESA. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
    13. "NASA Assigns Astronaut Jessica Watkins to NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 Mission". NASA. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    14. "Revised flight plan brings change for Samantha". ESA. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
    15. "Stephen G. Bowen (Captain, USN, Ret.) NASA Astronaut". NASA. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    16. "Minerva: ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's second mission to the International Space Station". esa.int. ESA. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
    17. European Space Agency (3 March 2022). "Minerva patch explained". European Space Agency. Retrieved 28 April 2022. 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.
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