Crew-2 Astronauts Safely Splash Down in Gulf of Mexico

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida Monday aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, completing the agency’s second long-duration commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The mission set a record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crewed spacecraft. The international crew of four spent 199 days in orbit, surpassing the 168 days set by NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission earlier this year.

NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 10:33 p.m. EST off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. Crews aboard SpaceX recovery vessels successfully recovered the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, the astronauts will fly back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“We’re happy to have Shane, Megan, Aki, and Thomas safely back on Earth after another successful, record-setting long-duration mission to the International Space Station,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “Congratulations to the teams at NASA and SpaceX who worked so hard to ensure their successful splashdown. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program continues to demonstrate safe, reliable transportation to conduct important science and maintenance on the space station.”

The Crew-2 mission launched April 23 on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Crew Dragon Endeavour docked to the Harmony module’s forward port of the space station April 24, nearly 24-hours after liftoff.

Kimbrough, McArthur, Hoshide, and Pesquet traveled 84,653,119 statute miles during their mission, stayed 198 days aboard the space station, and completed 3,194 orbits around Earth.

Throughout their mission, the Crew-2 astronauts contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities, scientific investigations, and technology demonstrations. In addition, they conducted four spacewalks and multiple public engagement events while aboard the orbiting laboratory. They studied how gaseous flames behave in microgravity, grew hatch green chiles in the station’s Plant Habitat Facility, installed free-flying robotic assistants, and even donned virtual reality goggles to test new methods of exercising in space, among many other scientific activities. The astronauts took hundreds of pictures of Earth as part of the Crew Earth Observation investigation, one of the longest-running investigations aboard the space station, which contributes to tracking of natural disasters and changes to our home planet.

Kimbrough, Hoshide, and Pesquet also completed four spacewalks to install, deploy, or otherwise prepare for installation of ISS Roll-out Solar Arrays. This brought the total number of spacewalks for Kimbrough, Hoshide, and Pesquet to nine, four, and six, respectively. The fourth spacewalk, conducted by Hoshide and Pesquet on Sept. 12, was the first in the history of the space station that did not include an American or Russian.

On July 21, all four Crew-2 astronauts boarded Endeavour for a port relocation maneuver, moving their spacecraft from the forward-facing port to the space-facing port on the station’s Harmony module.

The Crew-2 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which has worked with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the space station. The splashdown of Crew-2 comes just before the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission, currently scheduled for no earlier than Wednesday, Nov. 10, on another long duration mission of approximately six months.

Endeavour will return for inspection and processing to SpaceX’s Dragon Lair in Florida, where teams will examine the spacecraft’s data and performance throughout the flight.

Following Crew-3’s launch, the next NASA and SpaceX crew rotation mission is Crew-4, currently targeted for launch in April 2022. Crew-3 astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth shortly after welcoming their Crew-4 colleagues to the orbiting laboratory.

The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This already has provided additional research time and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed for exploration, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Crew-2: Astronauts Safely Return to Earth at 10:33 p.m. EST

NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet splashed down safely in the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 10:33 p.m. EST after 199 days in space.

The return breaks the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crewed spacecraft and completes the end of the second crew rotation mission to the International Space Station of the Crew Dragon spacecraft developed in partnership between NASA and SpaceX as a part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

Teams on the Go Navigator recovery ship, including two fast boats, now are in the process of securing Crew Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Crew Dragon onto the main deck of Go Navigator with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will be taken out of the spacecraft and receive medical checks before a helicopter ride to Pensacola to board a plane for Houston.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission launched April 23 on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked to the Harmony module’s forward port of the space station April 24, nearly a day after liftoff.

Throughout its mission, the Crew-2 astronauts contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities, scientific investigations, and technology demonstrations, in addition to four spacewalks, and multiple public engagement events while aboard the orbiting laboratory. They studied how gaseous flames behave in microgravity, grew hatch green chiles in the station’s Plant Habitat Facility, installed free-flying robotic assistants and even donned virtual reality goggles to test new methods of exercising in space, among many other scientific activities. The astronauts contributed hundreds of pictures of Earth as part of the Crew Earth Observation investigation, one of the longest-running investigations aboard the space station, which contributes to tracking of natural disasters and changes to our home planet.

Kimbrough has now spent a total of 388 days in space during three spaceflights; he conducted three spacewalks during this mission for a total of nine in his career. It was McArthur’s second spaceflight and her first to the space station, and she has logged 212 total days in space. It was Hoshide’s third spaceflight, bringing his total time in space to 340 days; he conducted one spacewalk for a total of four in his career. Pesquet conducted four spacewalks, for a total of six spacewalks during his two spaceflights totaling 395 days, the most days in space for an ESA astronaut. Hoshide and Pesquet’s spacewalk on Sept. 12 was the first in the history of the space station that did not include an American or Russian.

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

Learn more about station activities by following  @space_station  and @ISS_Research  on Twitter as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts.

Crew-2: Crew Dragon Deorbit Burn Complete

The Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet on their return to Earth after a nearly six-month science mission has completed its deorbit burn as expected ahead of splashdown at about 10:33 p.m. EST in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

Four minutes before splashdown, the drogue parachutes will deploy at about 18,000 feet in altitude while Crew Dragon is moving approximately 350 miles per hour, and less than a minute later, the main parachutes deploy at about 6,000 feet in altitude while the spacecraft is moving approximately 119 miles per hour.

NASA TV coverage available online and via the NASA app will continue until the crew is recovered from the spacecraft.

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

Learn more about station activities by following  @space_station and @ISS_Research  on Twitter as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts.

Crew-2 Astronauts Conduct First “Fly Around” from Inside Crew Dragon

Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Pilot Megan McArthur monitor data inside Crew Dragon during their return to Earth on Nov. 8, 2021.
Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Pilot Megan McArthur monitor data inside Crew Dragon during their return to Earth on Nov. 8, 2021. Photo credit: NASA

Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Pilot Megan McArthur monitor data as Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet captures photos of the International Space Station during the first ever “fly around” of the complex from inside a commercial Crew Dragon. Joined by Mission Specialist Aki Hoshide aboard spacecraft Endeavour after its undocking Monday afternoon, the four crew members departed the station after 197 days there and are in their final hours in space. They are scheduled to splashdown at 10:33 p.m. EST off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. Live coverage continues on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Below is a look at the International Space Station as seen from inside Crew Dragon Endeavor.

A view of the International Space Station from inside SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Crew-2: Crew Dragon Undocked at 2:05 p.m. EST from International Space Station

The Crew Dragon, Endeavour, as seen from the International Space Station
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour as it undocks from the International Space Station.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet inside undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 2:05 p.m. EST to complete a nearly six-month science mission.

Endeavour will conduct a series of burns to perform a fly around maneuver to photograph the exterior of the International Space Station. Once the maneuver is completed, additional engine burns will send the spacecraft out of the vicinity of the station and put the Crew Dragon spacecraft on an orbital track that will return the astronaut crew and its cargo safely to the path to its intended splashdown off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

Crew Dragon Endeavour will autonomously execute the departure burns to begin the flight home.

The return timeline with approximate times in EST is:

2:32 p.m.                   Fly around zenith to aft burn

2:54 p.m.                   Fly around aft to nadir burn

3:17 p.m.                   Fly around nadir to forward burn

3:39 p.m.                   Fly around forward to zenith burn

4:02 p.m.                   Departure burn 0

4:07 p.m.                   Departure burn 1

4:55 p.m.                   Departure burn 2

5:41 p.m.                   Departure burn 3

9:34 p.m.                   Trunk jettison

9:39 p.m.                   Deorbit burn begins

10:33 p.m.                 Crew Dragon splashdown

NASA will continue to provide live coverage until Endeavour splashes down off the coast of Florida and the Crew-2 astronauts are recovered from the Gulf of Mexico.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission launched April 23 on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked to the space station April 24.

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

Learn more about station activities by following  @space_station and @ISS_Research  on Twitter as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 Prepares for Undocking

Crew-2 astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur inside the Crew Dragon Endeavor spacecraft just before hatch closure on Nov. 8, 2021.Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Pilot Megan McArthur are seen inside Crew Dragon Endeavour as they, along with Mission Specialists Aki Hoshide from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Thomas Pesquet representing the European Space Agency, prepared to close hatches between the spacecraft and International Space Station in preparation for their return home Monday night, Nov. 8. The Crew-2 astronauts are scheduled to splash down at 10:33 p.m. EST off the coast of Florida near Pensacola.

Crew Dragon Endeavor will undock from the space station at approximately 2:05 p.m. Live coverage of undocking will air on NASA Television and the agency’s website, beginning at 1:45 p.m. and continuing through splashdown.

Launch Readiness Review Set for Tuesday, April 20, Followed by Prelaunch News Conference at 8 a.m.

The Crew-2 mission patch.
The NASA SpaceX Crew-2 mission patch.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 20, teams will complete the final major review for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission that will launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station. At the conclusion of the review, called the Launch Readiness Review (LRR), NASA and SpaceX will confirm the target launch time of 6:11 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 22.

About an hour after completion of the LRR, no earlier than 8 a.m., a prelaunch news conference will take place live on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Participants are:

  • Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy Space Center
  • Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson Space Center
  • Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson
  • Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
  • Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
  • Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA
  • Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA
  • Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force

Media may ask questions via phone only and should contact the Kennedy newsroom for connection details.

Crew-2 mission astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet will head to the International Space Station for a six-month science mission in the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which will launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A. NASA TV coverage of the launch preparations and lift off will begin at 2 a.m. Thursday, April 22. The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station Friday, April 23 at approximately 5:30 a.m. EDT.

Crew-2 is the second crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the space station and the first carrying two international crew members. The Crew-2 astronauts will join the other members of Expedition 65, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, for a six-month mission conducting science experiments in low-Earth orbit. An important scientific focus on this expedition is continuing a series of Tissue Chips in Space studies. Tissue chips are small models of human organs containing multiple cell types that behave much the same as they do in the body. The expedition will conduct other microgravity science investigations as well as complete maintenance and upgrades to the space station.

The U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predicts an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for lift off of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission based on Falcon 9 Crew Dragon launch weather criteria. The primary weather concerns for the launch area will be liftoff winds.

Teams also will monitor weather conditions both for the launch area and downrange for the flight of Crew Dragon.

Follow along with launch activities and get more information about the mission at: http://www.nasa.gov/crew-2. Learn more about commercial crew and space station activities by following: @Commercial_Crew@space_station, and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the Commercial Crew FacebookISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.