Commercial Crew Program

NASA SpaceX Crew-7 ‘Go’ for August 25 Launch

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Flight Readiness Review takes place at Kennedy Space Center on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. The mission is targeted to lift off from the Florida spaceport’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:49 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Managers with NASA and SpaceX, along with international partners, pose for a photo after completion of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

The Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station has concluded, and teams are proceeding toward a planned liftoff at 3:49 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA will hold a media teleconference at 5 p.m. EDT today, Monday, Aug. 21, at Kennedy to discuss the outcome of the review. Listen live on NASA’s website.

Participants in the teleconference are:

Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Steve Stich, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
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

On Aug. 20, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Endurance spacecraft rolled out to the pad at Launch Complex 39A. On Tuesday, Aug. 22, the crew will participate in a dry dress rehearsal ahead of an integrated static fire test in preparation for liftoff early Friday morning.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly to the International Space Station aboard the Dragon spacecraft. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-7 marks the eighth human spaceflight mission on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and the seventh crew rotation mission to the space station since 2020.

Details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the Crew-7 blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Astronauts Touch Down at Florida Spaceport

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew members arrive at Kennedy Space Center in Florida — Crew members for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will launch aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 3:49 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

The crew that will soon launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission arrived Sunday at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to start final preparations for liftoff.

Crew members NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, landed via Gulfstream jet aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy after departing from Ellington Field near the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The flight crew will be greeted at arrival by leaders from NASA, JAXA, and ESA.

A media event is scheduled about 12:15 p.m. EDT with the following participants:

Bill Nelson, administrator, NASA
Bob Cabana, associate administrator, NASA
Janet Petro, director, NASA Kennedy
Dana Hutcherson, deputy manager, Commercial Crew Program
Eric van der Wal, lead, International Space Station Program Houston Office, ESA
Junichi Sakai, program manager, International Space Station, JAXA
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, spacecraft commander
ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot
JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, mission specialist
Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, mission specialist

The event is scheduled to broadcast live, if weather permits, on NASA Television and the agency’s website. No teleconference option is available for this event.

Crew members are scheduled to lift off at 3:49 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25, aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carried by a Falcon 9 rocket for a full duration mission to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

This is the seventh crew rotation flight and the eighth human spaceflight mission on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station for CCP. Details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the Crew-7 blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Astronauts Depart Houston for Florida

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, before their mission to the International Space Station. — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 crew in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, before their mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: SpaceX

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 crew members now are en route to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin final launch preparations.

Crew-7 crewmates NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, departed by plane from Ellington Field near the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for the short flight to the Florida spaceport. The crew is expected to arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy this afternoon.

Crew-7 astronauts will be greeted on their arrival by leaders from NASA, JAXA, and ESA for a brief welcome ceremony targeted for approximately 12:15 p.m. EDT. The event is scheduled to broadcast live, if weather permits, on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

SpaceX Crew-7 is targeted to launch at 3:49 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 25, to the International Space Station.

Crew-7 Starts Health Stabilization, Visits Dragon Ahead of Launch

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 crew members are photographed inside the crew access arm, which they will walk across on launch day to enter SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida during a launch site familiarization tour on July 22, 2023. From left are Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, mission specialist; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, mission specialist. Photo credit: SpaceX

Crew members who will soon fly aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission will enter quarantine Friday in one of the major milestones before they head to the launch site in Florida to start their mission to the International Space Station.

The process of flight crew health stabilization is a routine part of final preparations for all missions to the space station. Spending the final two weeks before liftoff in quarantine will help ensure Crew-7 members are healthy, as well as protect the astronauts already on the space station. During the period, contact with other people are limited during the isolation time to avoid sickness. Family members and some launch and flight team members are cleared before they interact with the crew during this timeframe though most interactions are handled remotely.

Earlier this month, the crew visited the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a close look at the spacecraft they will take them to the International Space Station.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 crew members familiarize themselves with SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft at the company’s refurbishment facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on July 22, 2023. From left are Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, mission specialist; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, mission specialist. — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 crew members familiarize themselves with SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft at the company’s refurbishment facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on July 22, 2023. From left are Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, mission specialist; ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; and JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, mission specialist. Photo credit: SpaceX

Gathered at SpaceX’s refurbishment facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the four crew members put on their flight suits, entered the spacecraft, performed leak checks and completed communications checkouts.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly to the space station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, which previously supported the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions to and from the orbiting laboratory.

The company’s Falcon 9 rocket is targeted to launch Crew-7 no earlier than 3:49 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 25 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. 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 crew also listened to the Dragon spacecraft’s fans and pumps while inside the spacecraft to prepare themselves for the sounds they can expect to hear throughout the flight. They also took additional time to familiarize themselves with the interior of Dragon before leaving the spacecraft.

At SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A, the crew took a familiarization tour of the launch site, completed emergency training, and rode the elevator to the top of the launch pad’s tower to enjoy a beautiful early morning view of Kennedy.

Follow the commercial crew blog for the latest information on Crew-7 progress and flight readiness as reviews and milestones continue. Details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the Crew-7 blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA, Boeing Provide Update on Starliner Crew Flight Test

Boeing's Starliner crew ship approaches the space station on the company's Orbital Flight Test-2 mission on May 20, 2022. — Boeing’s Starliner crew ship approaches the space station on the company’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission on May 20, 2022. Photo credit: NASA

NASA and Boeing teams continue to make progress in preparing for Starliner’s first crewed flight to and from the International Space Station.

In a media teleconference Aug. 8, leaders from NASA and Boeing discussed the path forward for the spacecraft, including work to address two technical issues identified during the agency’s certification process to ensure the system meets crew safety requirements.

The Starliner team expects to have the Crew Flight Test spacecraft ready in March 2024. A specific target launch date will be set closer to spacecraft readiness, and with consideration of the International Space Station, United Launch Alliance, and Eastern Range availability.

A replay of the teleconference is available on NASA’s YouTube channel.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are assigned to fly Starliner and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station. The duo will remain docked at the orbiting laboratory for about two weeks to evaluate the new spacecraft and its systems before returning to Earth in the Western United States.

Following a successful first flight with crew, NASA will complete work to certify the Starliner system as an operational crew system for long-duration crew rotation missions to the space station.

Follow NASA’s commercial crew blog for the latest information on CFT progress. Details about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA, SpaceX Reset Crew-7 Launch to Friday, Aug. 25

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew members in their spacesuits — Crew-7 astronauts pose in front of their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft recently at the company’s Hawthorne, California, headquarters. The mission to the International Space Station is targeted for launch on Aug. 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: SpaceX

The target launch date for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station now is 3:49 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25. Additional time was required for teams to complete pad readiness after SpaceX’s recent Falcon Heavy mission lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The adjustment also takes advantage of consecutive launch opportunities and deconflicts the station’s cargo spacecraft traffic schedule.

Crew-7 is scheduled to dock to the orbiting laboratory about 2:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. If needed, Crew-7 has additional launch opportunities on Saturday, Aug. 26 and Sunday, Aug. 27.

Follow NASA’s commercial crew blog for the latest information on Crew-7 flight readiness.

Details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, and commercial crew on Facebook.

New Target Launch Date Set for Next Crewed Mission to Space Station

The four crew members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission pose for a photo inside SpaceX Hangar X at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. — The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission pose for a photo inside SpaceX Hangar X at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right are: Konstantin Borisov, Andreas Mogensen, Jasmin Moghbeli, and Satoshi Furukawa. Photo credit: SpaceX

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 5:23 a.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 21, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. The adjusted date allows additional time for launch site processing at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, a backup opportunity is available at 3:49 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 25.

The target date is in coordination with activities aboard the International Space Station, including operations with other crew and cargo spacecraft. A Cygnus cargo spacecraft from Northrop Grumman and Roscosmos Progress cargo spacecraft are due at the station in the coming weeks.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, which previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions to the space station. This will be the first launch of the Falcon 9 booster SpaceX selected to support this mission.

All hardware for the mission has arrived in Florida for processing. On July 25, the Dragon spacecraft was stacked to its trunk ahead of its upcoming transport to SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A. Once preflight checkouts of the spacecraft are complete, Dragon will be mated to the rocket ahead of the integrated system’s rollout to the launch pad.

Follow NASA’s commercial crew blog for the latest information on Crew-7 flight readiness.

Details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA, SpaceX Adjust Crew-7 Launch Date

NASA and its commercial and international partners now are targeting launch at 6:56 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. The new date – a shift of two days – allows for launch pad reconfiguration following a SpaceX Falcon Heavy mission from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The announcement came during a briefing held July 25 by NASA representatives along with officials from ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and SpaceX. Each agency – NASA, ESA, and JAXA – along with Roscosmos has a crew member among the four who make up the Crew-7 mission. Discussing a range of topics related to readiness for the mission, the officials highlighted the training the crew of four has moved through along with details of the six-month mission and the research that will be performed in orbit across several scientific disciplines.

Mission teams also provided several other updates on upcoming space station missions.

A replay of the mission overview news conference is available on the agency’s YouTube channel.

Following the briefing, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Crew-7, as well as NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara talked to media about training for their upcoming missions to the space station. O’Hara will launch in September from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

A replay of the crew news conference is available on the agency’s YouTube channel.

Crew-7 is the seventh rotational mission to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will carry Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen, Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov to the orbiting laboratory.

More details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA, SpaceX Provide Crew-7 Hardware Operations Status

The Crew-7 astronauts, from left, are Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furakawa. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Stafford and Robert Markowitz

NASA and SpaceX are preparing for the seventh rotational mission of the company’s human space transportation system to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The earliest targeted launch date for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is Tuesday, Aug. 15, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, which previously flew on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. This will be the first launch for the Falcon 9 rocket booster SpaceX selected to support this mission.

Dragon currently is being prepared for flight at SpaceX’s processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. As part of the refurbishment process, teams will install new components, including the heat shield, parachutes, and Draco engines in addition to a flight-proven nosecone. SpaceX recently completed Dragon’s propulsion system checkouts and will soon mate the heat shield to the spacecraft. Once refurbishment is complete, Dragon will be stacked to its trunk ahead of transportation to SpaceX’s hangar at nearby Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.

Following static fire testing at a SpaceX facility in Texas, the booster will undergo stage testing and further assessments prior to acceptance and certification for flight.

Once all rocket and spacecraft system checkouts are complete and components are certified for flight, SpaceX teams will mate Dragon to the Falcon 9 rocket in the company’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A. Teams will then roll the integrated spacecraft and rocket to the pad and raise it to a vertical position for an integrated static fire test prior to launch.

Following liftoff, the Falcon 9 first stage will separate from the second stage and land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Upon its arrival to the space station, Crew-7 will dock to the space-facing, or zenith, port of the Harmony module.

Follow NASA’s commercial crew blog for the latest information on Crew-7 progress and flight readiness as reviews and milestones continue. NASA and its partners will host a media event in the coming weeks to discuss more about Crew-7 progress.

Details about the mission and NASA’s commercial crew program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, and commercial crew on Facebook.

Mission Specialist Assigned to Crew-7 Space Station Mission

Crew-7 is pictured at SpaceX wearing their SpaceX flight suits. — The four crew members who comprise the SpaceX Crew-7 mission pose for a photo in their spacesuits during a training session at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left are, Mission Specialist Konstantin Borisov, Pilot Andreas Mogensen, Commander Jasmin Moghbeli,, and Mission Specialist Satoshi Furukawa. Photo credit: SpaceX

The final crew member for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission, currently targeted to launch to the International Space Station in mid-August, has been announced.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly as a mission specialist on SpaceX’s seventh rotational mission to the orbiting laboratory for NASA.

Borisov joins previously named crew members NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and astronaut Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).

This will be the first spaceflight for Borisov, who entered the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps as a test cosmonaut candidate in 2018.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Crew-7 aboard a Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions.

NASA and Roscosmos fly integrated crews on U.S. crew spacecraft and on the Soyuz spacecraft to ensure continued safe operations of the International Space Station and the safety of its crew. Integrated crews have been the norm throughout the International Space Station Program, as five space agencies (the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, and Roscosmos) operate the station, with each space agency responsible for managing and controlling the hardware it provides. The station was designed to be interdependent and relies on contributions from each space agency to function. No one agency has the capability to function independent of the others. For continued safe operations of the space station, the integrated crew agreement helps ensure that each crewed spacecraft docked to the station includes an integrated crew with trained crew members in both the Russian and U.S. Operating Segment systems.

For more insight on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program missions to the space station follow the commercial crew blog. More details can be found @commercial_crew on Twitter and commercial crew on Facebook.