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.
NASANational Aeronautical and Space AdministrationKSCKennedy Space CenterJSCJohnson Space CenterESAEuropean Space AgencySpaceXCommercial Crew ProgramCCPCrew-4SpaceX Crew-4International Space StationISSAstronautsNASA AstronautsESA AstronautsKjell LindgrenBob HinesJessica WatkinsSamantha ChirtoforettiLaunch Complex 39ALC-39ASpaceX Falcon 9 RocketSpaceX Crew Dragon SpacecraftSpaceX Dragon SpacecraftFreedom