KENNEDY SPACE CENTER: NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for a second launch attempt to send a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Crew-7 mission. The liftoff is scheduled for 3:27 am (0727 GMT) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a backup opportunity available on Sunday.
Crew-7, led by American Jasmin Moghbeli, includes Andreas Mogensen from Denmark, Satoshi Furukawa from Japan, and Konstantin Borisov from Russia. The launch was rescheduled to Saturday to allow engineers an additional day to review a component of the Crew Dragon capsule’s environmental control and life support system, according to NASA.
Jasmin Moghbeli, a Naval test pilot and the mission’s commander, expressed her excitement about the upcoming mission during a media call last month, stating, “This is something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.” She also shared her anticipation for the unique perspective of looking back at Earth from space.
The Crew-7 mission marks the first spaceflight experience for both Moghbeli and Borisov. Borisov’s flight will make him the third Russian to travel aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which is mounted atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX’s Crew-7 Mission to ISS
SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission is the seventh routine mission to the ISS under Elon Musk, with the first launched in 2020. NASA’s partnership with SpaceX is part of the commercial crew program aimed at reducing reliance on Russian rockets for astronaut transportation following the retirement of the space shuttle program in 2011.
While Boeing is another contracted private partner for NASA, its program has faced delays and technical challenges, and it has yet to transport any crew members.
During their six-month stay aboard the ISS, the Crew-7 astronauts will conduct various scientific experiments, including collecting samples during spacewalks to investigate whether the station releases microorganisms through its life support system vents. The mission also aims to assess physiological differences between sleep on Earth and in space.
With Crew-7’s arrival, the ISS will host a total of seven occupants before members of Crew-6 depart for Earth shortly thereafter. The ISS, operational since 2001, continues to facilitate cooperation between the United States and Russia in space exploration.
The space station’s activities are expected to continue until at least 2030, after which it will be decommissioned and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere to be safely disposed of in the ocean.
