This artist's concept depicts the Space Station Freedom as it would look orbiting the Earth, illustrated by Marshall Space Flight Center artist, Tom Buzbee. Scheduled to be completed in late 1999, this smaller configuration of the Space Station featured a horizontal truss structure that supported U.S., European, and Japanese Laboratory Modules; the U.S. Habitation Module; and three sets of solar arrays. The Space Station Freedom was an international, permanently marned, orbiting base to be assembled in orbit by a series of Space Shuttle missions that were to begin in the mid-1990's.
This artist's concept depicts the Space Station Freedom as it would look orbiting the Earth; illustrated by Marshall Space Flight Center artist, Tom Buzbee. Scheduled to be completed in late 1999, this smaller configuration of the Space Station features a horizontal truss structure that supported U.S., European, and Japanese Laboratory Modules; the U.S. Habitation Module; and three sets of solar arrays. The Space Station Freedom was an international, permanently marned, orbiting base to be assembled in orbit by a series of Space Shuttle missions that were to begin in the mid-1990's.
In 1982, the Space Station Task Force was formed, signaling the initiation of the Space Station Freedom Program, and eventually resulting in the Marshall Space Flight Center's responsibilities for Space Station Work Package 1.
iss072e004110 (Sept. 29, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov approaches the International Space Station.
iss072e005655 (Sept. 29, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov approaches the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above Oregon.
iss072e005747 (Sept. 29, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov approaches the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above Ontario, Canada, near James Bay.
iss072e005702 (Sept. 29, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov approaches the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above Ontario, Canada, near James Bay.
Space Station Freedom option A showing two Soyuz Assured Crew Return Vehicle (ACRV) capsules docked at berthing ports.
Megan Cruz of NASA Communications interviews Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prior to liftoff of the Crew-4 mission from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on April 27, 2022. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, launched at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Aboard the spacecraft are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, commander; Bob Hines, pilot; and Jessica Watkins, mission specialist, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, mission specialist. Nicknamed Freedom by the Crew-4 astronauts, Dragon will carry the crew to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Freedom is scheduled to dock to the space station at 8:15 p.m. EDT today.
iss072e057797_alt (Oct. 9, 2024) --- Hurricane Milton is pictured as a category 4 storm in the Gulf of Mexico nearing the coast of Florida in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 256 miles above. The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is also pictured from a window on the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Matthew Dominick
iss072e029590_alt (Oct. 8, 2024) --- Hurricane Milton is pictured as a category 4 storm in the Gulf of Mexico nearing the coast of Florida in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 257 miles above. The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is also pictured from a window on the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Matthew Dominick
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, soars upward after a 3:52 a.m. EDT liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, soars upward after a 3:52 a.m. EDT liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon atop, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. Aboard the Dragon are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. The spacecraft will carry the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom by the mission’s crew, is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon – named Freedom by the Crew-4 astronauts – atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, leaves the SpaceX integration hangar adjacent to NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A for rollout to the launch pad on April 19, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who arrived at Kennedy one day ago, will fly to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission. Liftoff is targeted for Saturday, April 23, at 5:26 a.m. EDT.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon – named Freedom by the Crew-4 astronauts – atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, is shown inside the SpaceX integration hangar adjacent to NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on April 19, 2022, just before rollout to the launch pad. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who arrived at Kennedy one day ago, will fly to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission. Liftoff is targeted for Saturday, April 23, at 5:26 a.m. EDT.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts, from left, Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti stand inside the crew access arm at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A during a dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will carry the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff, powered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, is targeted for no earlier than 4:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Crew-4 will be the first spaceflight for Hines and Watkins and the second flight for Lindgren and Cristoforetti.
iss070e087496 (Feb. 7, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured from a window aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft. Both spacecraft are docked to ports on the International Space Station's Harmony module. Freedom is seen moments before undocking from Harmony's forward port with the Axiom Mission 3 crew aboard.
iss070e087501 (Feb. 7, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured from a window aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft. Both spacecraft are docked to ports on the International Space Station's Harmony module. Freedom is seen moments before undocking from Harmony's forward port with the Axiom Mission 3 crew aboard.
Crew-4 astronauts, from left, Jessica Watkins, mission specialist; Bob Hines, pilot; Kjell Lindgren, commander and Samantha Cristoforetti, mission specialist, are positioned inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, during a dry dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 20, 2022. Crew-4 will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
Crew-4 astronauts, from left, Jessica Watkins, mission specialist; Bob Hines, pilot; Kjell Lindgren, commander and Samantha Cristoforetti, mission specialist, pose outside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, during a dry dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 20, 2022. Crew-4 will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
Joel Montalbano, manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program, participates in a Crew-4 postlaunch news conference April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Named Freedom by mission astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
iss072e144451 (Nov. 4, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space-facing port on the International Space Station's Harmony module.
From left, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti smile during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 virtual media engagement event at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. The mission will launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon – named Freedom by the Crew-4 astronauts – on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. Crew-4 is the fourth crew rotation flight to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 flag is raised near the News Center countdown clock at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. The SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop is scheduled to lift off Saturday, April 23, 2002, at 5:26 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Dragon will carry NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 flag is raised near the News Center countdown clock at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. The SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop is scheduled to lift off Saturday, April 23, 2002, at 5:26 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Dragon will carry NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts, from left, Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti stand outside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during a dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will carry the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff, powered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, is targeted for no earlier than 4:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Crew-4 will be the first spaceflight for Hines and Watkins and the second flight for Lindgren and Cristoforetti.
Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, participates in a Crew-4 postlaunch news conference April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Named Freedom by mission astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti relaxes in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Cristoforetti, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Josef Aschbacher, director general, ESA (European Space Agency), participates in a Crew-4 postlaunch news conference April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Named Freedom by mission astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watson, and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The News Center countdown clock is shown as NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 flag is raised at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. The SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop is scheduled to lift off Saturday, April 23, 2002, at 5:26 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Dragon will carry NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti gives a thumbs-up in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Cristoforetti, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA astronaut Bob Hines relaxes in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Hines, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts – from front, left to right – Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti walk out through the double doors below the Neil A. Armstrong Building’s Astronaut Crew Quarters at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
NASA astronaut Bob Hines adjusts his helmet in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Hines, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Crew-4 mission astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti walk out of Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during a dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. A team of SpaceX suit technicians assisted them as they put on their custom-fitted spacesuits and checked the suits for leaks. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission is scheduled to lift off at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins checks her spacesuit in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Watson, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Samantha Cristoforetti, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Crew-4 mission astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti walk out of the Astronaut Crew Quarters inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during a dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. A team of SpaceX suit technicians assisted them as they put on their custom-fitted spacesuits and checked the suits for leaks. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission is scheduled to lift off at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
Jessica Jensen, vice president of customer operations and Integration, SpaceX, participates in a Crew-4 postlaunch news conference April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Named Freedom by mission astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins smiles in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Watson, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Samantha Cristoforetti, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren gets assistance in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Watson, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Samantha Cristoforetti, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins smiles in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Watson, along with fellow Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Samantha Cristoforetti, is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, participates in a Crew-4 postlaunch news conference April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Named Freedom by mission astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
Heidi Parris, associate program scientist for the International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson, is introduced during a Crew-4 press briefing April 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket on April 27, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 3:52 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A.
Crew-4 astronauts, from left, Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and Samantha Cristoforetti stand inside the crew access arm at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A during a dry dress rehearsal on April 20, 2022. Reflected and lit up in the background is NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission at Launch Complex 39B. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, is targeted for liftoff no earlier than 4:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, from Pad 39A. The Crew-4 mission will carry the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical with the company’s Crew Dragon atop for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the Falcon 9 on April 23, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A. The astronauts will conduct scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical with the company’s Crew Dragon atop for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the Falcon 9 on April 23, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A. The astronauts will conduct scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical with the company’s Crew Dragon atop for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the Falcon 9 on April 23, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A. The astronauts will conduct scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical with the company’s Crew Dragon atop for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the Falcon 9 on April 23, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A. The astronauts will conduct scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical with the company’s Crew Dragon atop for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the Falcon 9 on April 23, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A. The astronauts will conduct scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical with the company’s Crew Dragon atop for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the Falcon 9 on April 23, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A. The astronauts will conduct scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - While touring the SRB Retrieval Ship Freedom Star, STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins and Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi point at something on the Banana River. Noguchi is with the Japanese space agency NASDA. The ships routinely are docked at Hangar AF on the river. On their mission, the crew - which also includes Pilot James Kelly and Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson - will carry the MultiPurpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello and External Stowage Platform 2 to the International Space Station. The MPLM will contain supplies and equipment. Another goal of the mission is to remove and replace a Control Moment Gyro. Launch date for mission STS-114 is under review.
iss069e014837 (May 28, 2023) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space-facing port on the International Space Station's Harmony module. Dragon Freedom carried four Axiom Mission-2 astronauts to the orbital lab on May 22, 2023, including Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi.
iss069e011319 (May 22, 2023) --- The SpaceX Freedom Dragon crew ship with four Axiom Mission-2 private astronauts aboard is pictured approaching the International Space Station. Freedom, commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, with Pilot John Shoffner and Mission Specialists Ala Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port at 9:12 a.m. EDT on Monday beginning eight days of docked operations with the seven-member Expedition 69 crew.
iss069e014835 (May 28, 2023) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space-facing port on the International Space Station's Harmony module. Dragon Freedom carried four Axiom Mission-2 astronauts to the orbital lab on May 22, 2023, including Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi.
iss069e011321 (May 22, 2023) --- The SpaceX Freedom Dragon crew ship with four Axiom Mission-2 private astronauts aboard is pictured approaching the International Space Station 262 miles above the Earth. Freedom, commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, with Pilot John Shoffner and Mission Specialists Ala Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port at 9:12 a.m. EDT on Monday beginning eight days of docked operations with the seven-member Expedition 69 crew.
iss067e066884 (May 21, 2022) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom crew ship, that delivered four Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station, is pictured docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port.
From left, moderator Megan Cruz, NASA Communications; Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate; Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program; Joel Montalbano, manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program; Jessica Jensen, vice president of customer operations and Integration, SpaceX; and Josef Aschbacher, director general, ESA (European Space Agency) participate in a Crew-4 postlaunch news conference April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Named Freedom by mission astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
iss069e015031 (May 30, 2023) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured with its nosecone deployed after departing the International Space Station moments earlier. Dragon Freedom returned to Earth later that day splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico with four Axiom Mission-2 astronauts including Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi.
Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington, is introduced during a Crew-4 press briefing April 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket on April 27, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 3:52 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A.
iss067e034503 (April 27, 2022) --- NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, Crew-4 Pilot and Mission Specialist respectively, are pictured inside the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft during their journey to the International Space Station.
iss067e034513 (April 27, 2022) --- NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, Crew-4 Mission Specialist, is pictured inside the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft during her journey to the International Space Station.
iss070e075419 (Jan. 20, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying the four-member Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew is pictured approaching the International Space Station 260 miles above southern India.
iss068e012233 (Oct. 5, 2022) --- This view from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Freedom crew ship looks out at Baja California Sur and the Gulf of California as the International Space Station orbited 261 miles above the Pacific Ocean.
iss070e075556 (Jan. 20, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying the four-member Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew is pictured approaching the International Space Station 260 miles above China north of the Himalayas.
iss067e034534 (April 27, 2022) --- NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Crew-4 Commander, is pictured looking out the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft’s windows during his journey to the International Space Station.
iss067e034516 (April 27, 2022) --- NASA astronauts (from left) Bob Hines and Kjell Lindgren, Crew-4 Pilot and Commander, respectively, are pictured inside the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft during their journey to the International Space Station.
iss072e031300 (Oct. 7, 2024) -- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft, docked to the forward-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony module, was photographed as the orbiting lab soared 258 miles above the state of Colorado.
iss072e004107 (Sept. 29, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov approaches the International Space Station 258 miles above Lake Abert in Oregon.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is introduced during a Crew-4 press briefing April 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket on April 27, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 3:52 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A.
NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana is introduced during a Crew-4 press briefing April 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket on April 27, 2022, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 3:52 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dusk descends on the Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, to recover the right spent booster after it splashed down following space shuttle Discovery's final launch. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Hangar AF docks, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the captain of the Freedom Star, David Fraine, addresses those attending a reunion of a diver, Jack Wilcox, and his rescuers: the crew of KSC's Freedom Star Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) retrieval ship and a medical team. The diver suffered decompression sickness on a diving expedition 20 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. When the Freedom Star team heard the call for help, they asked the Coast Guard if they could assist. The ship was out on a crane certification exercise and coincidentally had a diver medical technician and other divers training on the crane. The ship's divers were trained for the hyperbaric chamber on board. Upon reaching the Army dock, KSC Occupational Health physician Skip Beeler entered the chamber and continued the process of helping to stabilize Wilcox. After several hours in the chamber, Wilcox, who lives in Orlando, was airlifted to Florida Hospital Orlando.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers on the deck of Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships docked at Port Canaveral, Florida, prepare the vessel prior to sailing. Freedom Star will be in position to recover the spent boosters after space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
iss072e032577 (Oct. 7, 2024) -- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured attached to the forward-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony module as a vibrant aurora moves through Earth's atmosphere while the station orbited 273 miles above the Indian Ocean.
Crew-4 mission astronauts participate in NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 dry dress rehearsal in the suit room inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on April 20, 2022. A team of SpaceX suit technicians assisted them as they put on their custom-fitted spacesuits and checked the suits for leaks. From left are: Jessica Watkins, mission specialist; Bob Hines, pilot; Kjell Lindgren, commander; and Samantha Cristoforetti, mission specialist. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission is scheduled to lift off at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
iss068e017228 (Oct. 14, 2022) --- The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship is pictured docked to the forward port of the International Space Station's Harmony module. Endurance was photographed from a window inside the Dragon Freedom crew ship docked to Harmony's space-facing port. Credit: JAXA/Koichi Wakata
iss069e013996 (May 22, 2023) --- Axiom Space private astronaut and Axiom Mission-2 Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni enters the International Space Station shortly after the hatches were opened between the orbital outpost and the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft.
iss072e143839 (Nov. 3, 2024) --- The unoccupied space-facing port on the International Space Station's Harmony module is pictured several hours before the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft would relocate there after undocking from Harmony's forward port.
iss069e013992 (May 22, 2023) --- Axiom Space private astronaut and Axiom Mission-2 Pilot John Shoffner enters the International Space Station shortly after the hatches were opened between the orbital outpost and the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft.
iss067e034527 (April 27, 2022) --- Astronauts (from left) Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) and Jessica Watkins of NASA, Crew-4 Mission Specialists, are pictured in front of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft’s windows during their journey to the International Space Station.
iss067e034536 (April 27, 2022) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, Crew-4 Mission Specialist, is pictured looking out the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft’s windows during her journey to the International Space Station.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The left spent booster nose cap from space shuttle Discovery's final launch is secured to a pallet on Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships and will be returned to Port Canaveral in Florida. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A worker on Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, manipulates a crane to recover the left solid rocket booster from the Atlantic Ocean after space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, tows the left spent booster from space shuttle Discovery's final launch, to Port Canaveral in Florida. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, reaches Port Canaveral, Florida with the left spent booster from space shuttle Discovery's final launch, in tow. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members in a skiff from Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, inspect the left spent booster bobbing in the Atlantic Ocean after space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
iss067e075991 (May 25, 2022) --- Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew ship is pictured maneuvering away from the International Space Station after undocking from the Harmony module's forward port. In the foreground, is the aft end of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom crew ship that delivered the Crew-4 astronauts to the orbiting lab.
iss072e031823 (Oct. 7, 2024) -- Peering through the window of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured this image of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft as vivid green and pink aurora swirled through Earth's atmosphere while the International Space Station soared 273 miles above the Indian Ocean.
iss072e004109 (Sept. 29, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov approaches the International Space Station 261 miles above Ontario, Canada, near the coast of James Bay.