NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 Reaches ISS To Join Expedition 67

Crew Dragon Freedom, carrying the Crew-4 astronauts, docked autonomously into the space station on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:37 pm EDT (Thursday, April 28 at 5:07 am IST), about 16 hours after liftoff.

Crew-4 NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency were greeted by Expedition 67 members as they arrived at the International Space Station.

Source : NASA

New Delhi: NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti have reached the International Space Station (ISS), about 16 hours since launch. SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom, carrying the Crew-4 astronauts, docked automatically into the space station on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:37 pm EDT (Thursday, April 28 at 5:07 am IST), NASA said in a mission update. 

Lindgren, Hines, and Watkins are NASA astronauts, while Cristoforetti is from the European Space Agency (ESA). Lindgren served as the mission commander for Crew-4, Hines was the pilot, and Watkins and Cristoforetti were mission specialists.

The Freedom spacecraft was flying about 261 miles above the Pacific Ocean while docking, according to NASA. 

At 6:52 am IST, NASA tweeted that the four new astronauts entered the space station, following hatch opening at around 9:15 pm EDT, Wednesday, April 27 (6:45 am IST, Thursday, April 28). The Crew-4 astronauts were greeted by the crew of the space station.

Just this morning, the four #Crew4 astronauts were launching from @NASAKennedy. Now they're being greeted by the crew of the @Space_Station. Watch as they enter their new digs. pic.twitter.com/nifrIHBo5f

— NASA (@NASA) April 28, 2022

Freedom Spacecraft's Journey Towards The Space Station

The Freedom spacecraft carrying the Crew-4 astronauts lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:52 am EDT (1:22 pm IST), from the historic Launch Complex 39-A at NASA's Kennedy Center, Florida. 

About 10 minutes after launch, Falcon 9's first stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas Droneship. 

During their 16-hour flight to the space station, Freedom and the Crew-4 astronauts orbited the Earth about 10 times. 

Freedom docked autonomously into the space-facing port of the station's Harmony Module about 45 minutes ahead of the mission schedule.

"Have we captured your attention? Because the @Space_Station has soft captured the #Crew4 @SpaceX Dragon Freedom, with its four astronauts onboard," NASA tweeted. 

Have we captured your attention? Because the @Space_Station has soft captured the #Crew4 @SpaceX Dragon Freedom, with its four astronauts aboard. pic.twitter.com/nPhdFUCS6X

— NASA (@NASA) April 27, 2022

After docking, the Freedom spacecraft went through a handful of checks before the hatch was opened, according to a live broadcast by NASA. The Crew-4 astronauts aboard Freedom and the space station conducted standard leak checks in preparation for hatch opening.

When you're waiting for your friends to come over. #Crew4 pic.twitter.com/3HvqEeU5hC

— NASA (@NASA) April 28, 2022

Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti have joined the Expedition 67 crew which includes NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Sergey Korsakov, and Denis Matveev. 

With the arrival of the Crew-4 astronauts, the total population of the space station has become 11, all of whom will be part of Expedition 67. However, the population aboard the microgravity laboratory will soon become seven, after NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 departs in early May. 

Crew-4 is the fourth crew rotation mission of SpaceX's human transportation system. The Crew-4 mission patch features a dragonfly, which is an agile flyer and a symbol of good luck. The patch is designed by Alexandra Lindgren, daughter of Kjell Lindgren, because of which the concept and symbolism is close to the crew's heart, according to NASA.

During their four-and-a-half month stay aboard the ISS, the Crew-4 astronauts will conduct new and interesting scientific research in different areas including materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA's Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA's Artemis program. 

The Crew-4 astronauts are slated to return to Earth in the fall of 2022.