SpaceX Crew-2

SpaceX Crew-2 will be the second crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the third overall crewed orbital flight. The mission is planned to launch on 20 April 2021.[1] The Crew-2 mission will transport four members of the crew to the International Space Station.

Not to be confused with Crew Dragon Demo-2.

SpaceX Crew-2
A previous flight of the capsule as it approaches the ISS.
Mission typeISS crew transport
OperatorSpaceX
Mission duration180 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon C206 Endeavour
ManufacturerSpaceX
Launch mass6,000 kg (13,000 lb)
Landing mass3,000 kg (6,600 lb)
Crew
Crew size4
Members
Start of mission
Launch date20 April 2021 (planned) [1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 B1061.2
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
Landing date2021 (planned)
Landing siteAtlantic Ocean
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony forward or zenith
Time docked180 days (planned)

SpaceX Crew-2 logo
 

Crew

On 28 July 2020, JAXA, ESA and NASA confirmed their astronaut assignments aboard this mission.[2][3]

Prime crew
Position Astronaut
Spacecraft commander Shane Kimbrough, NASA
Expedition 65
Third spaceflight
Pilot K. Megan McArthur, NASA
Expedition 65
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Akihiko Hoshide, JAXA
Expedition 65
Third spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Thomas Pesquet, ESA
Expedition 65
Second spaceflight

German astronaut Matthias Maurer will act as backup for Pesquet, whilst Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa will train as backup to Hoshide.[3][4]

Backup crew
Position Astronaut
Spacecraft commander TBA
Pilot TBA
Mission Specialist 1 Satoshi Furukawa, JAXA
Mission Specialist 2 Matthias Maurer, ESA

Mission

The second SpaceX operational mission in the Commercial Crew Program is currently scheduled to launch on 20 April 2021.[1] The Crew Dragon Endeavour (C206), will dock to the International Docking Adapter (IDA) on the Harmony module. All crew are veteran astronauts, though this will be Megan McArthur's first visit to the ISS (as her first spaceflight was a shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope). Akihiko Hoshide will serve as the second Japanese ISS commander during his stay.[2]

This is the second mission by Thomas Pesquet to the International Space Station and will be called Alpha, after Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to Earth, following the French tradition to name space missions after stars or constellations.[3]

See also

References
  1. Heiney, Anna (29 January 2021). "NASA, SpaceX to Launch Second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station". NASA. Retrieved 29 January 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "JAXA星出彰彦宇宙飛行士の国際宇宙ステーション（ISS）長期滞在 搭乗機決定について". jaxa.jp (in Japanese). 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  3. "Thomas Pesquet first ESA astronaut to ride a Dragon to space". ESA Science and Exploration. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  4. Powell, Joel [@ShuttleAlmanac] (19 November 2020). "JAXA has announced long stay visits to the ISS for 2022 and 2023" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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