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Robert Pearlman
NASA release
Dragon Freedom docks at space station
NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti arrived at the International Space Station on Wednesday, April 27, as the SpaceX Dragon Freedom docked to the complex at 7:37 p.m. EDT (2337 GMT) while the spacecraft were flying about 261 miles above the Pacific Ocean.
Following Crew Dragon's link up to the Harmony module, the astronauts aboard Dragon and the space station began conducting standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft and then proceeded with hatch opening.
Lindgren, Hines, Watkins and Cristoforetti are joining the Expedition 67 crew of Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, all of NASA, Matthias Maurer of ESA, and cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Sergey Korsakov, and Denis Matveev of Roscosmos. For a short time, the number of crew on the space station will increase to 11 people until NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 departs in early May.
Robert Pearlman
NASA release
Crew-4 astronauts prepare to return to Earth
NASA and SpaceX are targeting 5:41 p.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 13, for the splashdown and conclusion of the Crew-4 flight, wrapping up a nearly six-month science mission. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft "Freedom" is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, to begin the journey home.
Weather remains a watch item as teams track the progress of a cold front forecast to pass over the splashdown areas off the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida. Mission teams will continue to monitor splashdown and recovery conditions with another weather review at six hours prior to undocking. Additional undocking opportunities also are available Thursday, Oct. 13.
Robert Pearlman
NASA release
Crew-4 departure delayed
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 10:05 a.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 13, for the agency's Crew-4 undocking from the International Space Station to begin the return trip to Earth completing a nearly six-month science mission in orbit. Splashdown is targeted several hours later at 5:43 p.m. Thursday off the coast of Florida.
Mission teams continue to monitor a cold front passing over Florida with the potential to bring high winds and rainy weather near the splashdown zones off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Mission teams will continue to monitor splashdown and recovery conditions with another weather review around six hours prior to undocking.
Crew 4's Dragon undocking depends on a variety of factors, including spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. Dragon Freedom remains healthy while currently docked to the space station. Back-up undocking opportunities also are available Friday, Oct. 14.
Robert Pearlman
NASA release
Weather further delays Crew-4 undocking
NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Oct. 13 departure opportunity for the agency's Crew-4 mission from the International Space Station due to increased winds forecast in the splashdown area.
Mission teams will meet later in the day to determine the next target for Crew-4's undocking to begin their return trip to Earth completing a nearly six-month science mission in orbit. The next available undocking opportunity is no earlier than 11:35 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 14.
NASA and SpaceX will continue to monitor a cold front passing over Florida bringing high winds and rainy weather near the splashdown zones off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Robert Pearlman
NASA release
Crew-4 targets new return date, weather permitting
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 11:35 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 14, for the agency's Crew-4 undocking from the International Space Station to begin their return trip to Earth completing a nearly six-month science mission in orbit. Splashdown is targeted several hours later at approximately 4:50 p.m. off the coast of Florida.
Mission teams continue to monitor a cold front passing through Florida on Thursday, Oct. 13, bringing high winds and rainy weather near the splashdown zones off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Current weather predictions are showing greater forecast certainty Friday due to a high-pressure system behind the cold front, which is expected to bring more favorable conditions for splashdown and recovery. NASA and SpaceX will continue to monitor splashdown and recovery conditions with another weather review around eight hours prior to undocking. Teams also will review multiple options for undocking opportunities Friday and Saturday.
Robert Pearlman
Dragon Freedom undocks from station
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony module at 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT) on Friday (Oct. 14) to complete a nearly six-month mission.
Freedom and the Crew-4 astronauts are scheduled to splash down in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT).
Four astronauts are home from a nearly six-month stay on the International Space Station, having safely splashed down on board a SpaceX capsule off the coast of Florida.
NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, together with Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), returned to Earth on Friday (Oct. 14) on the Crew Dragon "Freedom." The Crew-4 crewmates descended under parachutes to a 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT) landing in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Jacksonville.
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