SpaceX Crew-4

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SpaceX Crew-4
Freedom launches to the ISS with the crew members of Crew-4 onboard.
NamesUSCV-4
Mission typeISS crew transport
OperatorSpaceX
COSPAR ID2022-042A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.52318Edit this on Wikidata
Mission duration170 days, 13 hours, 2 minutes, 32 seconds[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 dateApril 27, 2022, 07:52:55 (2022-04-27UTC07:52:55Z) UTC (3:52:55 am EDT)[3]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 B1067-4
Launch siteKennedy, LC‑39A
End of mission
Recovered byMV Megan
Landing dateOctober 14, 2022, 20:55:27 (2022-10-14UTC20:55:28Z) UTC (4:55:27 pm EDT)
Landing siteAtlantic Ocean, near Jacksonville, Florida[4]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.64°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony zenith
Docking dateApril 27, 2022, 23:37 UTC
Undocking dateOctober 14, 2022, 16:05 UTC[5]
Time docked169 days, 16 hours, 28 minutes

NASA (left), SpaceX (middle), and ESA (right) mission patches

From left: Hines, Cristoforetti, Watkins and Lindgren

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 April 27, 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]

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

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NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Robert Hines were announced on February 12, 2021, to the crew.[7][8] Samantha Cristoforetti was named the commander of Expedition 68 on May 28, 2021.[12] Jessica Watkins was named mission specialist on November 16, 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
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 Italy Samantha Cristoforetti, ESA
Expedition 67/68
Second spaceflight
Mission specialist United States Jessica Watkins, NASA
Expedition 67/68
First spaceflight
Backup crew
Position[15] Astronaut
Commander United States Steve Bowen, NASA

Mission

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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.

[edit]
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

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References

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