Crew rotation missions to Space Station planned | Technology Today | theredstonerocket.com – Theredstonerocket

NASA and SpaceX are continuing plans to launch Crew-3 astronauts to theInternational Space Stationas early as Oct. 31, and targeting the return home of Crew-2 astronauts in the early-to-mid November timeframe.

Crew-3 will be the third crew rotation mission with astronauts on an American rocket and spacecraft from the United States to the space station, and the fourth flight with astronauts, including theDemo-2 test flightin 2020,Crew-1 missionin 2020-21, and the ongoingCrew-2 flightas part of the Expedition 65 crew.

The commercial crew team at Marshall Space Flight Center, led by Steve Gaddis, has a long working relationship with SpaceX, having worked with the commercial partner to improve safety and reliability of the Merlin engines, stage propulsion, Draco and SuperDraco thrusters, the abort and flight termination systems, structures, materials and processes, fracture control, and integrated performance analyses.

Our team worked extremely hard troubleshooting around the potential Boeing OFT-2 launch. Now we have pivoted to Crew-3, with Crew- 4 happening soon afterward, Gaddis, deputy manager of the Launch Vehicle System Office, said. The days are busy as we are always working two missions one that is near-term and close to launch, and another that is in-flow preparing for launch.

The Crew-3 mission will launch NASA astronautsRaja Chari, mission commander;Tom Marshburn, pilot; andKayla Barron, mission specialist; and European Space Agency astronautMatthias Maurer, also a mission specialist, aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The crew is scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, living and working as part of what is expected to be a seven-member crew.

Crew-3 astronauts plan to arrive at the station to overlap with NASA astronautsShane KimbroughandMegan McArthur, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronautAkihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronautThomas Pesquet, who flew to the station as part of Crew-2 in April.

Missions teams also are targeting no earlier than April 15, 2022, for the launch of NASAs SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the space station for a six-month science mission.

Crew-4 will be commanded byKjell LindgrenwithBob Hinesas pilot, both NASA astronauts. European Space Agency astronautSamantha Cristoforettiwill be a mission specialist and command the Expedition 68 crew, while the remaining crew member has yet to be named. Crew-3 astronauts are set to return to Earth in late April 2022 following a similar handover with Crew-4.

NASAsCommercial Crew Programis working with industry through a public-private partnership to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station, which will allow for additional research time and will increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanitys test bed for exploration. The space station remains the springboard to space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and Mars.

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Crew rotation missions to Space Station planned | Technology Today | theredstonerocket.com - Theredstonerocket