NASA and SpaceX are getting ready to launch the first-ever operational Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station. The mission, dubbed Crew-7, will launch four astronauts – three from the United States and one from Japan – onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 23.
The crew consists of Mike Hopkins (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), Shannon Walker (Mission specialist) and Soichi Noguchi (Mission specialist). The launch from Launch Complex 39A of the Kennedy Space Center is scheduled for 6:11am ET.
For the first time ever, the mission will be broadcast live on both NASA and SpaceX’s websites. The stream will also be carried on social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. It will give viewers a unique view of the historic event as it happens.
The launch will mark the first time a SpaceX crew capsule will be used for a long-duration mission to space. It will be the fourth flight for the program, following the initial SpaceX Demo-1 and Demo-2 and the flight of the Crew-1 astronauts to the space station in November.
Once the mission crew successfully reaches the space station, they will join Expeditions 65 and 66, the space station’s 65th and 66th long-duration expeditions. It will be the first time since 2002 that the station will be home to two six-person crews.
This will be the first time SpaceX has launched astronauts from the area’s 39A launchpad since the Apollo missions that launched the first humans to the moon in 1969.
Preparations for the launch have included testing the spacecraft, practicing emergency procedures, exercising in the pool, and planning a strategy for the mission.
The Crew-7 mission is expected to be a big step forward in the commercial crew program as it will demonstrate the potential of commercial spacecraft to operate safely and reliably for long periods of time in space.
It is expected that the mission will be a great success and that it will set the stage for future missions to the space station and beyond. So tune in to watch the launch this Saturday at 6:11am ET and witness a piece of history in the making.
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