26.03.2022
NASA, ESA Assign Astronauts to Space Station Mission on Crew Dragon
NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have selected two astronauts to launch on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the mission. Two mission specialists will be announced later, following review by NASA and its international partners.
The mission is expected to launch no earlier than 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Moghbeli, Mogensen, and the additional mission specialists will join an expedition crew aboard the space station.
This will be the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. Moghbeli is from Baldwin, New York, and earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. As an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot and Marine Corps test pilot, she has flown more than 150 missions accruing 2,000 hours of flight time in more than 25 different aircraft. She also graduated with honors from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. At the time of her selection as an astronaut, Moghbeli was testing H-1 helicopters and serving as the quality assurance and avionics officer for VMX-1. She is also the proud mom of twin girls.
This will be Mogensen’s second trip to the space station as a veteran of the ESA 10-day Iriss mission in 2015, for which he served as a flight engineer. Mogensen was the flight engineer on Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft during launch and Soyuz TMA-16M during the return flight. Mogensen has logged 9 days, 20 hours, and 9 minutes in space. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and graduated with an international baccalaureate from the Copenhagen International School, a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London, and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2015, Mogensen became the first Danish person to go to space and currently is serving as the European astronaut liaison officer to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the U.S. aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.
For more than 21 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, 253 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 109 countries and areas.
The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and developing a robust low-Earth orbit economy, NASA is free to focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.
Quelle: NASA
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ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen set to return to space
In brief
Danish ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen has been assigned a long-duration mission to the International Space Station and is expected to fly as the pilot of a Crew Dragon spacecraft in mid 2023 or early 2024.
In-depth
The assignment was announced by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher during the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s national space conference in Denmark today.
It will be the first long-duration mission for Andreas, who previously flew to the Station in 2015 for a 10-day mission known as Iriss. It is also the first time an international partner astronaut has been assigned to the role of pilot for a NASA SpaceX mission.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce the assignment of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen to a long-duration spaceflight and to let you know he is in training to become the first non-US astronaut to pilot a Crew Dragon spacecraft,” says Josef.
“Since his first flight in 2015, Andreas has been an invaluable member of the ESA astronaut team as the link between European astronauts and NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. We regularly hear him guide astronauts through their spacewalks by radio from mission control and I look forward to hearing his voice once again via radio from space.
“His assignment as pilot is a sign of the deepening relationship between ESA and NASA as we build our capabilities in low-Earth orbit and explore even farther into space."
The first Dane in orbit
Andreas is the first Danish citizen to fly to space and his Iriss mission was action-packed. While most astronauts are given a week to acclimatise to their new environment, Andreas worked an extra 90 minutes every day to support more than 20 ESA experiments focused on new ways of operating and testing technology.
These included testing a water-cleaning membrane that mimics nature, hands-free goggles to help with complex tasks and a tight-fitting suit to alleviate back pain common in astronauts. He also remotely controlled three different rovers on Earth to prepare for missions farther away in our Solar System and filmed lightning phenomena known as Blue Jets and Red Sprites as a precursor to the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor ASIM, installed in 2018.
Flying on a Dragon
Andreas is assigned as the backup pilot for Crew-6 and is expected fulfil this role on a Crew Dragon spacecraft as a member of Crew-7. This crew includes NASA astronaut and first-time space flyer Jasmin Moghbeli, who was born in Bad Nauheim, Germany.
“I have been looking forward to this ever since 12 September 2015, when I landed from my first mission, Andreas says.
“The International Space Station is a unique laboratory, where we can conduct ground-breaking research and technology development, and I can’t wait to get back there.
“Space exploration is about increasing our knowledge, expanding our horizons, and creating the world that we want to inhabit in the future. And there is nothing more exciting than that.”
Andreas is the next ESA astronaut to fly after ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti who is scheduled to be launched as part of Crew-4 in April 2022.
Quelle: ESA
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Update: 21.06.2023
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Introducing Crew-7!
The final two crewmembers of Crew-7, for which ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen is the pilot, have been announced. They will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) later this summer.
In addition to Andreas and NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli who were already announced as Crew-7 pilots, Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos astronaut Konstantin Borisov will take two seats in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. They will both be mission specialists on Crew-7, which is led by Jasmin as commander of Crew-7. Andreas will be the first European pilot on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, where he will be responsible for the Crew Dragon’s systems and performance, leading the way and representing Europe into space.
They will launch together from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, and the four of them will stay around six months on the Space Station, conducting science and maintaining the outpost as part of Expedition 69 and 70.
Satoshi
Satoshi Furukawa was selected as an astronaut in 1999 and finished his training in 2001. He has a doctorate in medicine, specialising in gastrointestinal surgery. He is a qualified mission specialist with NASA, a flight engineer for Soyuz launches and took part in the 13th expedition NEEMO, staying ten days in an underwater laboratory off the coast of Florida.
In 2011, he flew in a Soyuz spacecraft to the Space Station for a 165-day mission as part of Expedition 28 and 29 and has since 2014 been head of JAXA’s Space Biomedical Research Group, focusing on promoting research in space medicine .
Konstantin
The fourth seat will be filled by Konstantin Borisov, who was selected for astronaut training in 2018. He has two Masters, one in Science in Operations Research and Systems Analysis and another in Aircraft building. This will be Konstantin’s first journey to space.
Jasmin
Jasmin “Jaws” Moghbeli is the Commander of Crew-7, taking the responsibility of all phases of the flight, from launch to reentry. With a background as a test pilot in the US Marine Corps, she has flown over 2000 hours in more than 25 aircraft and completed a master’s degree in aerospace engineering during her time as a test pilot. She started her astronaut training in 2017 and has worked on developing the Human Landing System, the lander for the Artemis programme that will take humans to the surface of the Moon. Crew-7 will be her first spaceflight.
Quelle: ESA
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Update: 4.07.2023
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Commanding role for Andreas in space
ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will be commander of the International Space Station (ISS) during his Huginn mission, becoming the sixth European astronaut to fulfil this role.
ISS Expedition 70 patch
ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will fly to the Space Station as part of Crew-7, piloting of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and will become the International Space Station crew commander during Expedition 70.
Andreas would become the longest serving European ISS commander after arriving in August. He will be commander of Earth’s orbiting outpost for five months, until he returns home in early 2024. Andreas will take over from Roscosmos astronaut Sergey Prokopyev, who has been in command since 12 October 2022 who took over the commanding role from ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
“It is a big honour for me to be the next commander of the International Space Station. I look forward to taking on the responsibilities and ensure a great stay for all crew members during expedition 70.” says Andreas.
Besides Andreas’s crew members from Crew-7, Expedition 70 is set to have NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, Roscosmos astronauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub onboard, with more arriving later.
Handing over the key
The change in command of the Space Station happens a few days before the commander leaves for Earth and is marked by a traditional ceremony. All crew members gather as the departing commander gives a speech about their commandership and hands over the symbolic key of the Space Station to the next commander, who says a few words about their new responsibilities.
As the commander of the Space Station, Andreas will have to ensure the safety, good health and well-being of the Space Station’s crew while directing the crew as one team. He will also work with the flight director on ground, on the activities and operations on the Space Station.
“It is great to see that Andreas will be the next commander on the International Space Station. It is a testament to Andreas’s hard work and together with being a pilot on Crew Dragon, I look forward to seeing Andreas go to new heights on his Huginn mission.” says Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General.
The ones who came before
The International Space Station has had a commander since the first expedition in October 2000. NASA astronaut William Shephard was the first commander. Since then, there have been 73 commanders of the Space Station, with some astronauts taking the commander role multiple times. Andreas will follow in the footsteps of former European commanders Samantha Cristoforetti, Thomas Pesquet, Luca Parmitano, Alexander Gerst and Frank De Winne.
Quelle: ESA
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Update: 7.07.2023
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NASA Invites Media to Next SpaceX Commercial Crew Space Station Launch
Media accreditation now is open for the launch of NASA’s seventh rotational mission of a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station.
The earliest targeted launch date for the NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is Tuesday, Aug. 15, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch of Dragon, named Endurance, will carry NASA astronaut and mission commander Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and pilot Andreas Mogensen, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov as mission specialists. This is the first spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov, and second flight for Mogensen and Furukawa.
Following a handover period, crew members from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission are scheduled for return to Earth aboard their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft named Endeavour.
Media accreditation deadlines for the Crew-7 launch are as follows:
- U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international media must apply by 11:59 p.m. EDT Monday, July 31
- International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 12
All accreditation requests should be submitted online at:
For questions about accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
If you have special logistical requests, such as space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections, please send your request to: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov by Tuesday, July 18.
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 9.07.2023
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SpaceX, NASA targeting Aug. 15 for launch of Crew-7 astronaut mission
The flight's four crewmembers represent four different space agencies.
The four crewmembers of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station pose for a photo in their spacesuits during a training session at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left: mission specialist Konstantin Borisov, pilot Andreas Mogensen, commander Jasmin Moghbeli and mission specialist Satoshi Furukawa. (Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX's next astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA now has a target launch date.
The flight, known as Crew-7, will lift off on Aug. 15 if all goes according to plan, NASA officials announced on Wednesday (July 5).
Like SpaceX's previous astronaut missions, Crew-7 will employ the company's Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket. It will launch from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Crew-7 has a very international feel, as its four crewmembers represent four different space agencies.
The mission's commander is NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, while its pilot is Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency. Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and Konstantin Borisov, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, will serve as mission specialists.
Crew-7 will be the first spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov and the second for Mogensen and Furukawa, NASA officials said. The quartet will spend about six months aboard the International Space Station, then come back home to Earth in their Dragon, a vehicle named Endurance.
As its name suggests, Crew-7 is the seventh operational astronaut mission that SpaceX will fly to the orbiting lab for NASA. (Endurance flew two of those previous six — Crew-3 and Crew-5.) The crewmembers of the most recent such flight, Crew-6, launched on March 1 and will depart the ISS shortly after Crew-7 arrives.
Crew-7 will be SpaceX's 11th human spaceflight overall. In addition to the operational flights for NASA, the company launched Demo-2, a test flight to the ISS for the agency in 2020; Inspiration4, a private mission to Earth orbit in September 2021; and Ax-1 and Ax-2, crewed jaunts to the orbiting lab for Houston company Axiom Space in April 2022 and May 2023, respectively.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 28.07.2023
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Marine pilot, astronaut to lead NASA’s next space station mission
Lt. Col. Jasmin Moghbeli is slated to lead the next crewed mission to the International Space Station. (Bill Ingalls/NASA)
Her hands shook when she got the call, the excitement so overwhelming it briefly kept her from calling her parents to give them the news.
After learning in 2017 that she was accepted to join NASA’s astronaut candidate class, Lt. Col. Jasmin Moghbeli felt her long desired dream of exploring the stars becoming a reality.
“A lot of my time in the Marine Corps, I think, is what set me up for this experience,” she told Military Times.
After years of training, the Marine test pilot-turned-astronaut will serve as the commander of NASA’s upcoming SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. The research mission is currently slated to launch August 17, according to Steve Stich, program manager of the commercial crew program.
The trip will be Moghbeli’s first to space. She follows in the footsteps of those like Col. Nicole Mann, another Marine test pilot who traded in her military flight suit for a space suit and led the SpaceX Crew-5 mission that launched in October 2022.
Many of the commercial crew missions have or are slated to be led by a current or former service member. In addition to those endeavors, other military personnel will soon be finding themselves leaving Earth’s atmosphere. In April, NASA announced a pair of Navy captains will command and pilot the Artemis II lunar mission.
Moghbeli, who will serve as an Expedition 69/70 flight engineer aboard the station,will be joined on the mission by pilot Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov.
Before signing up to become an explorer of the cosmos, Moghbeli, an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot and Marine Corps test pilot, completed over 150 combat missions and logged 2,000 hours of flight time in over 25 different aircraft.
Born in Germany — though she considers New York her hometown — Moghbeli partly credits her family’s journey from Iran in sparking her interest in service to the United States.
“I was interested in joining the military from a pretty young age,” she told Military Times. “I was also interested in becoming an astronaut from a pretty young age. Thankfully, those two things worked out together very well.”
Moghbeli commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 2005 and began her operational flying career in 2008 with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 “Scarface” at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California.
“My time as a test pilot has served me very well,” Moghbeli said. “This is a time in space flight where we have more new vehicles and different vehicles then we’ve ever had before.”
For the Crew-7 mission, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A SpaceX Crew-8 mission is planned for no earlier than February 2024.
Quelle: MarineTimes
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Update: 13.08.2023
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Greenland, Faroe Islands issue stamp for Danish astronaut's mission
Greenland (as pictured) and the Faroe Islands have issued a stamp commemorating the upcoming "Huginn" mission by ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark. (Tusass Greenland)
A Danish astronaut's upcoming space mission has gotten the stamp of approval from the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Posta Faroe Islands and Tusass Greenland, the two countries' postal services, have collaborated to produce a single postage stamp design commemorating European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen's "Huginn" mission to the International Space Station. The stamp was issued in both of the Kingdom of Denmark overseas territories on Friday (Aug. 11).
"What an honor!" wrote Mogensen, reacting to the stamp's release on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The stamp features a black raven with its wings extended, set against Earth as a backdrop, with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark visible. "Huginn," Mogensen's chosen name for his ESA mission, is taken from one of the two ravens which served as helper spirits to the god Odin in Norse mythology. In Old Norse, "Huginn" means "thought."
"It was clear that the raven was going to be the focus of the stamp, with the Huginn name tying the mission to Nordic mythology," said Anker Eli Petersen, the stamp's artist, in a statement released by ESA.
The postage stamp also depicts the International Space Station, where Mogensen will live and conduct the Huginn mission for the next six months. Mogensen is set to launch to the space station on SpaceX's Crew Dragon "Endurance" as pilot of the Crew 7 mission. Once on board the orbiting laboratory, he will join the station's 69th and then 70th expeditions.
The stamp's design is the same in both countries, with the exception of the text and denomination. The Posta Faroe Islands' version has the Faeroese name for the Faroe Islands, "Føroyar," inscribed at the bottom left of the stamp, while the Tusass Greenland issue has "Kalaallit Nunaat," Greenlandic for "Land of the Greenlanders." In the Faroe Islands, the stamp has a face value of 31 Krone and in Greenland, 32 Krone.
In addition to the stamp, also offered is a stamp sheet, with cultural depictions tying together the Nordic and Inuit heritage. Greenland shares its heritage with the Inuit culture, which also includes Canada and Alaska. The Faroe Islands share a heritage with the Nordic countries.
On the left of the sheet is a drawing of the Greenlandic Akvkos, a shaman in Inuit culture, with the raven spirit Qaartukuk, and on the right the Norse god Odin with the raven Huginn returning after a day scouting the world to gather information.
"As I was researching Greenland's cultural heritage, I came across the poem 'Qaartuluk,' meaning 'Song of the Raven Spirit,' said Petersen. "The song tells the story of a shaman with a raven companion that searched the unknown for knowledge for its shaman master. It was perfect to connect the two cultures, Huginn from Nordic and Qaartuluk from Inuit."
The stamp sheet also includes the Huginn mission patch as created by ESA graphic designer Karen Lochtenberg. Rendered in the red and white of the Danish flag, as well as ESA's own 'Deep Space Blue' color, the insignia depicts the raven Huginn flying to the right, moving into the future as it glides over an Earth-rise horizon, which could also be seen as the moon or Mars. Details in the shading of the raven symbolize Denmark, the journey to the space station and the complex's solar arrays.
Six stars in the background of the patch form a constellation that resembles the Viking symbol for "safe travels."
Accompanying the stamp's release, a Huginn folder is also available, with the front page showing Peterson's impression of a raven with Earth and the moon behind it and images from Mogensen's training inside.
Both Posta Faroe Islands and Tusass Greenland are now offering the stamp and its related collectibles through their respective websites, with worldwide shipping available.
Quelle: CS
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Update: 18.08.2023
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Coverage Set for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Events, Broadcast, Launch
NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station.
The launch is targeted for 3:49 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, is scheduled to dock to the space station at 2:02 a.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 26.
Crew arrival, launch, the postlaunch news conference, and mission coverage through docking will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. NASA also will host an audio-only post-Flight Readiness Review news teleconference. Follow all live events at:
The Crew-7 launch will carry NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov.
As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-7 marks the eighth human spaceflight mission supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the seventh crew rotation mission to the space station since 2020 for NASA.
The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. The agency’s media credentialing policy is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
All media participation in the following news conferences will be remote except where specifically listed below.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission coverage is: (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations)
Sunday, Aug. 20
12:15 p.m. – Crew arrival media event at Kennedy on NASA TV
- Bob Cabana, associate administrator, NASA
- Janet Petro, director, NASA Kennedy
- Dana Hutcherson, deputy manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy
- Eric van der Wal, lead, International Space Station Program Houston Office, ESA
- Junichi Sakai, program manager, International Space Station, JAXA
- NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli
- ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen
- JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa
- Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov
The event is limited to in-person media only. Follow Commercial Crew and Kennedy Space Center for the latest arrival updates.
Monday, Aug. 21
5:30 p.m. (approximately) – Flight Readiness Review media teleconference (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Flight Readiness Review) with the following participants:
- Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, Johnson
- William Gerstenmaier, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
- Frank De Winne, program manager, International Space Station, ESA
- Junichi Sakai, program manager, International Space Station, JAXA
Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Wednesday, Aug. 23
9:30 a.m. – NASA Social Panel Live Stream event at Kennedy with the following participants:
- Tom Engler, Center Planning and Development Director, NASA Kennedy
- Samantha Testa, recovery director, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Kristin Fabre, ISS National Laboratory
- Luca Parmitano, ESA astronaut
Members of the public may ask questions online by posting questions to the YouTube, Facebook, and X livestreams using #AskNASA.
11:30 a.m. – One-on-one media interviews at Kennedy with various mission subject matter experts. Sign-up information will be emailed to media accredited to attend this launch in-person.
Thursday, Aug. 24
11:45 p.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins
Friday, Aug. 25
3:49 a.m. – Launch
Following conclusion of launch and ascent coverage on NASA TV, coverage of the Crew-7 flight to the space station will continue audio only on mission audio circuits and on YouTube until 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, when coverage of rendezvous, docking, hatch opening, and welcoming remarks resumes on NASA TV.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/live.
5:30 a.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch News Conference on NASA TV
- Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, Johnson
- Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
- Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president, JAXA
- Josef Aschbacher, director general, ESA
Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 3 a.m. Friday, Aug. 25, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Saturday, Aug. 26
12:15 a.m. – NASA TV arrival coverage begins
2:02 a.m. – Docking to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module
3:47 a.m. – Hatch opening
5 a.m. – Welcome ceremony
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 20.08.2023
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SpaceX Dragon capsule arrives at launch pad ahead of Crew-7 liftoff (photos)
The Crew Dragon Endurance is set to launch on its third astronaut mission on Aug. 25.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance is seen at NASA's Kennedy Space Center ahead of its planned Aug. 25, 2023 liftoff on the Crew-7 astronaut mission. (Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule Endurance has made it to the launch pad ahead of next week's planned astronaut liftoff.
Endurance just arrived at Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, SpaceX announced via X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday (Aug. 17). The capsule had previously been at a SpaceX refurbishment facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is next door to KSC.
If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Pad 39A, carrying four astronauts toward the International Space Station(ISS) on SpaceX's Crew-7 mission.
A close-up look at the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endurance at Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Thursday's X post also featured two shots of the white capsule, whose unblemished surface belies its considerable spaceflight experience.
Endurance also flew the Crew-3 and Crew-5 astronaut missions to the ISS for NASA, which launched in November 2021 and October 2022, respectively.
Crew-7 is a fully international affair, featuring astronauts from four different countries. They are NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli, Endurance's commander; Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency, who will serve as pilot; mission specialist Konstantin Borisov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos; and mission specialist Satoshi Furukawa of Japan.
The quartet will spend about six months aboard the orbiting lab. Their arrival at the ISS will be followed in relatively short order by the departure of the SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts, who have been living on the station since March 3.
Quelle: SC