Coverage Updated for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 Briefing, Events, Broadcast

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-4 mission, Saturday, April 23, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, which will send astronauts to the International Space Station.

The launch is targeted for 3:52 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 27, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft, dubbed Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 27.

Prelaunch activities, launch, and docking will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

The Crew-4 flight will carry Mission Commander Kjell Lindgren, Pilot Bob Hines, and Mission Specialist Jessica Watkins, all NASA astronauts, and Mission Specialist Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency).

The mission is the fourth crew rotation to fly on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, and the fifth SpaceX flight with NASA astronauts – including the Demo-2 test flight in 2020 to the space station – as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

All media participation in the following news conferences will be remote except where specifically listed below. The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Tuesday, April 26

7 a.m. (approximately) – Prelaunch news teleconference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the launch readiness review) with the following participants:

Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
Zeb Scoville, chief flight director, Flight Operations Directorate, NASA Johnson
Jessica Jensen, vice president, customer operations and integration, SpaceX
Josef Aschbacher, director general, ESA
Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 6 a.m. on April 26 at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

9 a.m. – NASA administrator media briefing on NASA TV with the following participants:

Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
Bob Cabana, NASA associate administrator
Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
Josef Aschbacher, director general, ESA
Heidi Parris, associate program scientist for the International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson

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 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Wednesday, April 27

12 a.m. – NASA Television mission commentary coverage begins

3:52 a.m. – Launch

5:30 a.m. (approximately) - Postlaunch news conference

Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
Jessica Jensen, vice president, customer operations and integration, SpaceX
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 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

8:15 p.m. (approximately) – Docking

9:45 p.m. (approximately) – Hatch Opening

Thursday, April 28

2:40 a.m. (approximately) – Welcome Ceremony from the International Space Station

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135. A “clean feed” of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel.

NASA Website Launch Coverage

Launch day coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our launch blog at:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.

Quelle: NASA

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Update: 27.04.2022 /8:00 MESZ