The official crew portrait of the SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts representing NASA’s Industrial Crew Program. From left are, Pilot Robert Hines, Mission Specialists Samantha Cristoforetti and Jessica Watkins, and Commander Kjell Lindgren. Hines, Watkins, and Lindgren are NASA astronauts and Cristoforetti is an ESA (European House Company) astronaut. Credit score: NASA
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 group – consisting of NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European House Company) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti – have been busy preparing for his or her upcoming mission to the Worldwide House Station. The mission is scheduled to launch Friday, April 15, from Launch Advanced 39A on the company’s Kennedy House Heart in Florida.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts take part in a coaching session at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. From left to proper: NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 mission specialist Jessica Watkins; NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 pilot Robert “Bob” Hines; NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 commander Kjell Lindgren; and ESA (European House Company) astronaut and Crew-4 mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy. Credit score: SpaceX
Throughout latest coaching at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, the crew participated in simulations targeted on undocking and departing from the house station. All 4 astronauts practiced in a high-fidelity simulator of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, full with flight-realistic hardware, shows, and seats. Every astronaut gained expertise suiting up and configuring the spacecraft for departure. Commander Lindgren and pilot Hines took their locations within the heart seats, with entry to flight shows they’ll use to observe the spacecraft’s standing and, if wanted, take handbook management of the spacecraft.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts – NASA astronaut and Crew-4 pilot Bob Hines (left), and NASA astronaut and Crew-4 commander Kjell Lindgren (proper) – take part in a coaching session at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. Credit score: SpaceX
Astronaut crews recurrently practice for all phases of flight, utilizing simulations to observe regular operations and reply to any sudden points. These simulations sometimes embody a number of “runs” for a given day, with crew and flight controllers training a particular part of the mission. Utilizing simulated information to coach personnel, simulations introduce system failures and different challenges to provide groups the chance to organize for and perceive potential anomalies that might come up throughout a spaceflight, all whereas arming the crew with the abilities wanted for successfully overcoming these challenges.
NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 mission specialist Jessica Watkins is proven carrying her spacesuit throughout a coaching session at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. Credit score: SpaceX
Whereas at Kennedy House Heart for emergency preparedness coaching, the crew visited the launch tower at Launch Advanced 39A and skilled on the emergency egress system, which employs slide wire baskets that allow crew and personnel to soundly and shortly evacuate from the launch tower within the occasion of an emergency.
To grow to be extra aware of restoration operations, the astronauts discovered their sea legs aboard SpaceX’s Dragon restoration vessels that will likely be utilized by joint SpaceX and NASA groups to choose up the crew following splashdown on the finish of their mission. Two equivalent vessels cowl potential touchdown zones off of the coast of Florida. The astronauts additionally toured considered one of SpaceX’s hangars the place Falcon 9 rockets are refurbished and ready for flight.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts practice at Kennedy House Heart in Florida. From left to proper: ESA astronaut and Crew-4 mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy; NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 commander Kjell Lindgren; NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 pilot Robert “Bob” Hines; and NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 mission specialist Jessica Watkins. Credit score: SpaceX
The crew is scheduled for a science expedition aboard the Worldwide House Station, residing and dealing as a part of orbiting laboratory’s Expeditions 67 and 68. Crew-4 would be the fourth crew rotation mission with SpaceX, and fifth crewed flight general together with the Demo-2 flight take a look at, for NASA’s Industrial Crew Program.
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