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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa was named a mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission. Photo credit: NASA
Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has been selected as a mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission – the agency’s seventh rotational mission to the International Space Station.
Furukawa joins NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. An additional crew member will be assigned at a later date.
Furukawa spent 165 days aboard the orbiting laboratory in 2011 as a flight engineer with Expeditions 28 and 29. As part of his duties, he helped support the final space shuttle mission, STS-135.
This will be the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017, and the first long-duration mission for Mogensen. He previously served as a flight engineer on a 10-day mission to the space station in 2015. Crew-7 will be his second trip to space.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than mid-August for the launch of Crew-7, aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four astronauts will join an expedition crew aboard the space station.
For more insight on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program missions to the orbiting laboratory, follow the commercial crew blog. More details can be found @commercial_crew on Twitter and commercial crew on Facebook.
UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi poses with a free-flying AstroBee robotic helper inside the space station’s Kibo laboratory module.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting mid-August for the launch of Crew-7, the next rotational mission to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the mission. Two mission specialists will be announced later, following review by NASA and its international partners. Moghbeli, Mogensen, and the additional mission specialists will join an expedition crew aboard the space station.
Crew Flight Test Targeting July 21
Launch of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) to the International Space Station is targeted for no earlier than Friday, July 21, pending coordination for the U.S. Eastern Range availability. The new target date provides NASA and Boeing the necessary time to complete subsystem verification testing and close out test flight certification products and aligns with the space station manifest and range launch opportunities.
Space Station Cargo, Research Work Ongoing
The Expedition 69 crew members continue unpacking the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship in the midst of human research and pharmaceutical studies aboard the International Space Station. NASA and its commercial crew partners have also announced upcoming missions to the station.
Flight Engineers Frank Rubio of NASA and Sultan Alneyadi of UAE (United Arab Emirates) took turns working inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft on Thursday. The duo has been offloading some of the 6,200 pounds new research gear and crew supplies packed inside the Cargo Dragon. The U.S. commercial space freighter will remain docked to the Harmony module’s forward port until mid-April when it will return to Earth filled with completed science experiments and other cargo for retrieval and analysis.
Rubio started his day pedaling on the station’s exercise bike while attached to sensors to measure his aerobic capacity in microgravity. Afterward, he performed research work in the Columbus laboratory module to understand how the different gravity levels of the Moon, Mars, and beyond may affect the biomanufacturing of pharmaceuticals.
Alneyadi’s first task of the day was to install an incubator in the Kibo laboratory module and later activate it in the afternoon. He also collected surface samples throughout the space station for microbial analysis back on Earth.
Station Commander Sergey Prokopyev was joined by Rubio and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin during the morning checking their Soyuz launch and entry suits for leaks. Prokopyev and Petelin then tested communications with the ISS Progress 83 cargo craft docked to the Zvezda service module’s rear port. Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev worked throughout Thursday on computer maintenance and orbital plumbing tasks.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, left, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen will launch on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission. Credits: NASA
NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have selected two astronauts to launch on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the mission. Two mission specialists will be announced later, following review by NASA and its international partners.
The mission is expected to launch no earlier than 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Moghbeli, Mogensen, and the additional mission specialists will join an expedition crew aboard the space station.
This will be the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. Moghbeli is from Baldwin, New York, and earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. As an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot and Marine Corps test pilot, she has flown more than 150 missions accruing 2,000 hours of flight time in more than 25 different aircraft. She also graduated with honors from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. At the time of her selection as an astronaut, Moghbeli was testing H-1 helicopters and serving as the quality assurance and avionics officer for VMX-1. She is also the proud mom of twin girls.
This will be Mogensen’s second trip to the space station as a veteran of the ESA 10-day Iriss mission in 2015, for which he served as a flight engineer. Mogensen was the flight engineer on Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft during launch and Soyuz TMA-16M during the return flight. Mogensen has logged 9 days, 20 hours, and 9 minutes in space. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and graduated with an international baccalaureate from the Copenhagen International School, a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London, and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2015, Mogensen became the first Danish person to go to space and currently is serving as the European astronaut liaison officer to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the U.S. aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.
For more than 21 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, 253 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 109 countries and areas.
The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and developing a robust low-Earth orbit economy, NASA is free to focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.
