SpaceX Crew-4 returned from the ISS on 14 October, 2022 after 170 days in space.
The astronauts who are members of SpaceX Crew-4 are: Commander Kjell Lindgren; Mission Specialist, Jessica Watkins; Pilot Robert “Bob” Hines, all of NASA, and European Space Agency’s Mission Specialist, Samantha Cristoforetti, from Italy.
Jessica Watkins made history as the first African-American woman in the ISS and Samantha Cristoforetti made history as the first European woman to command the ISS.
SPACEX CREW-5 LAUNCHED, DOCKS IN ISS
SpaceX Crew-5 was launched to the International Space Station on 5 October, 2022.
The crew comprises the first cosmonaut to join a SpaceX ISS shuttle, Anna Kikina; NASA’s Josh Cassada; first native American woman in space, Nicole Mann and JAXA’s Koichi Wakata.
They docked 29 hours later.
They will spend six months in the ISS.
Their launch from the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, was on schedule one week after Hurricane Ian that killed at least 100 people in that state in USA.
SPACEX CREW-3 RETURNS FROM ISS
SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts to the ISS have returned to Earth.
They splashed down off the coast of Florida on 6 May, 2022 by 05:43 WAT and were picked up by a waiting recovery team.
The SpaceX Crew-3 has NASA astronauts: Commander Raja Chari (46), Mission Pilot Thomas Marshburn (61) and Mission Specialist Kayla Barron (34) along with European Space Agency’s astronaut, Mission Specialist Matthias Maurer (51) from Germany.
Mashburn has had two previous spaceflights and four spacewalks while the other three are fresh astronauts.
They blasted-off from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, USA, on 11 November, 2021.
Their Endurance capsule docked in the ISS on 12 November, 2021.
SPACEX CREW-4 LAUNCHED; DOCKS IN ISS
NASA and SpaceX have launched Crew Dragon’s fourth NASA’s operational spaceflight and its seventh overall crewed orbital flight.
The launch was 08:52 WAT, 27 April, 2022 in a new Dragon spacecraft, Freedom, powered by Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
They docked 00:37 WAT the following day and were welcome by the seven astronauts and cosmonauts in the ISS.
The astronauts who are members of SpaceX Crew-4 are: Commander Kjell Lindgren; Mission Specialist, Jessica Watkins; Pilot Robert “Bob” Hines, all of NASA, and European Space Agency’s Mission Specialist, Samantha Cristoforetti, from Italy.
Their no earlier than launch date was 15, then 23 April, 2022.
However, the return of Ax-1 mission to ISS was delayed by seven days to 25 April, 2022 due to unfavourable weather in the splashdown coast of Florida.
This forced the postponement.
The delay was for the team to complete final spacecraft processing ahead of the mission and to allow for appropriate spacing of operations.
Their no earlier than launch date was adjusted to April 27, 2022.
They will replace SpaceX Crew-3 which has NASA astronauts Commander Raja Chari, Mission Pilot Thomas Marshburn and Mission Specialist Kayla Barron along with European Space Agency’s Mission Specialist Matthias Maurer from Germany.
Jessica Watkins, a crew member, makes history as the first black woman to work in the International Space Station and the fifth black woman in space.
The first black woman in space is NASA’s Mae Jemison in 1992.
Cristoforetti is the first Italian woman in space and was the third woman to work in ISS.
She was one of three astronauts to launch on Soyuz TMA-15M to the ISS from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 24 November, 2014 in Expedition 42.
On 21 July, 2022, she made history as the first European woman to do a spacewalk when she and cosmonaut 0leg Aetemev spent seven hours, five minutes outside the ISS, configuring the robotic arm of the Russian segment and deploying some small satellites.
SPACEX CREW-3 IN ISS
NASA has launched SpaceX Crew-3, a crew of four astronauts, to the International Space Station, ISS.
The blastoff of their Endurance space capsule was from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) in Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, USA, on 11 November, 2021 (03:03 WAT).
Endurance capsule docked in the ISS on 12 November, 2021 (12:32 WAT).
The SpaceX Crew-3 has NASA astronauts: Commander Raja Chari (46), Mission Pilot Thomas Marshburn (61) and Mission Specialist Kayla Barron (34) along with European Space Agency’s astronaut, Mission Specialist Matthias Maurer (51) from Germany.
Mashburn has had two previous spaceflights and four spacewalks while the other three are fresh astronauts.
NASA, for four times, postponed the launch of SpaceX Crew-3 due to weather concerns.
From 6 November, 2021 NASA said it will be 10 November, 2021 or any opportune day, that week.
It was delayed, from 3 November to 6 November, 2021 because one of the astronauts was reported to have a “minor” health issue.
This will be the second time that NASA is delaying a launch on astronaut’s health grounds.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis flight in 1990 was delayed for three days when Mission Commander John Creighton was sick, until he was cleared to fly.
Weather concerns earlier, forced NASA to re-schedule Crew-3 launch from October 31, 2021 to 3 November, 2021.
The launch was first, planned for 30 October, 2021 but was delayed by one day to create additional time for spacecraft processing.
The crew arrived the launch site in NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, on 26 October, 2021 and were said to be ready.
SpaceX Crew-3 will stay six months in ISS.
SPACEX CREW-2 RETURNS FROM ISS
SpaceXCrew-2 astronauts: Shane Kimbrough, Mission Commander, and Megan McArthur both of NASA; Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA, and Thomas Pesquet of ESA returned to Earth from the International Space Station on 8 November, 2021.
Their SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour parachuted to a splashdown in a landing zone off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, USA, in the Gulf of Mexico (04:33 WAT).
Their return was delayed by one day due to weather concerns.
The crew had to endure wearing special diapers or undergarments for toilet breaks in the eight-hour flight as the toilet in their capsule broke down.
NASA opted to bring back SpaceX Crew-2, on a six-month mission in ISS since 23 April, 2021 before launching Crew-3.
Crew-3 were to replace Kimbrough, McArthur, Pesquet and Hoshide of Crew-2.
Crew-2 must now do an indirect handover to Crew-3.
This is the first time NASA has allowed a Crew Dragon to be re-used.
The launch was earlier scheduled for 22 April, 2021 but was postponed by a day due to bad weather.
It was with the Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US.
The astronauts are: Shane Kimbrough as Mission Commander, and Megan McArthur both of NASA; Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA, and Thomas Pesquet of ESA.
They brought the number of astronauts in the ISS to 11.
Thirteen is the highest the ISS has had at a time.
Crew-2 replaces Crew-1 and will spend six months in the ISS and are expected back to Earth in October, 2021.
SPACEX CREW-1 TO ISS RETURNS TO EARTH
The SpaceX Crew-1 had NASA’s Commander, Shannon Walker and astronauts Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins, as well as JAXA’s Soichi Noguchi.
They were launched with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, US, on 15 November, 2020.
They were replaced by astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur both of NASA; Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA, and Thomas Pesquet of ESA.
pictures courtesy: nasa
