SpaceX Crew-4
Fourth NASA Commercial Crew flight, maiden voyage of Dragon Freedom.
SpaceX Crew-4 marked the fourth operational mission for NASA under the Commercial Crew program using the Crew Dragon, and the seventh crewed orbital flight for the spacecraft overall. It lifted off on April 27, 2022, at 07:52 UTC and docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 23:37 UTC. The flight came shortly after the private Axiom 1 mission, which also used SpaceX hardware earlier that month. On board were three NASA astronauts and one European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut.
This mission was the first flight of the Crew Dragon capsule named *Freedom*. The crew chose the name to "celebrate a fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that emanate from the unencumbered human spirit." The booster used, B1067, had previously launched CRS-22 and SpaceX Crew-3, making Crew-4 the first Commercial Crew mission to reuse a booster on its third flight.
The crew included NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Robert Hines, announced on February 12, 2021. Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA was named commander of Expedition 68 on May 28, 2021, though she was later removed from that role due to the shortening of the Crew-4 mission. Jessica Watkins was named mission specialist on November 16, 2021.
The mission lasted 170 days. The European segment was called Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom, and marked Cristoforetti’s second trip to the ISS.
Quick Facts
- Names List
- USCV-4
- Mission Type
- ISS crew transport
- Operator
- SpaceX
- Spacecraft Type
- SpaceX Crew Dragon
- Launch Mass
- 12519 kg
- Landing Mass
- 9616 kg
- Crew Size
- 4
- Crew Members
- Kjell Lindgren · Robert Hines · Samantha Cristoforetti · Jessica Watkins
- Crew Expedition
- Expedition 67/68
- Launch Rocket
- Falcon 9 Block 5 B1067-4
- Launch Site
- Kennedy, LC39A
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
SpaceX Crew-4 launched on April 27, 2022, at 07:52 UTC and docked with the International Space Station at 23:37 UTC. The mission followed shortly after the private Axiom 1 mission to the ISS earlier in the month, which also used SpaceX hardware. The crew consisted of three NASA astronauts and one ESA astronaut.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft used on this mission was named Freedom by the crew, who stated the name 'celebrates a fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that emanate from the unencumbered human spirit.' The booster, B1067, had previously been used to launch CRS-22 and SpaceX Crew-3, making Crew-4 the first Commercial Crew mission to use a booster on its third flight.
The European part of the mission was called Minerva, named after the Roman goddess of wisdom, and it was European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's second mission to the ISS. Cristoforetti was initially named commander of Expedition 68 but was later removed due to the shortening of the Crew-4 mission.
Reader's Guide
SpaceX Crew-4 represents a milestone in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, being the fourth operational flight and the first to reuse a booster on its fourth flight. The mission demonstrated the increasing reliability and cost-effectiveness of commercial spaceflight, as the same booster that launched Crew-3 was reused for Crew-4. The naming of the spacecraft Freedom highlighted the crew's emphasis on human rights and innovation. The mission also marked the second spaceflight for ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, whose portion of the mission was called Minerva. The 170-day duration contributed to ongoing research and operations aboard the International Space Station. Crew-4's success furthered the partnership between NASA and SpaceX, paving the way for continued crew rotations and commercial access to low Earth orbit.
Did You Know?
- Crew-4 was the maiden flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft named Freedom.
- The booster B1067 was used on its third flight, the first Commercial Crew mission to do so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who flew on SpaceX Crew-4?
The crew consisted of three NASA astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut, making it a four-person mission to the International Space Station.
What was special about the Falcon 9 booster used for Crew-4?
Booster B1067 was on its third flight, and this marked the first time a Commercial Crew mission reused a Falcon 9 on its third launch.
What is the Crew Dragon capsule on Crew-4 called?
The spacecraft is named Freedom, and Crew-4 was its maiden voyage. The crew selected the name to reflect the spirit of the mission.
When did SpaceX Crew-4 launch and reach the ISS?
The rocket lifted off on April 27, 2022, at 07:52 UTC, and the capsule completed its rendezvous to dock with the station at 23:37 UTC the same day.
Where does Crew-4 fit in the Commercial Crew timeline?
It was the fourth operational NASA Commercial Crew flight and the seventh crewed orbital mission flown by a Crew Dragon capsule overall. It followed closely on the heels of the private Axiom 1 mission, which had also used SpaceX hardware earlier that month.
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