NASA has officially cleared SpaceX for the next crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Due to weather conditions, the launch—originally set for Thursday—has shifted to Friday. In a milestone, the astronauts will fly aboard a proven, repurposed SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 booster.
Last week, NASA and SpaceX engineers rigorously reviewed the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket ahead of the Crew-2 mission. After thorough checklists, teams identified and addressed a minor issue: a slight discrepancy in liquid oxygen loading compared to expectations. The Falcon 9 uses RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen for propulsion.
On April 20, SpaceX's Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight, confirmed the fix. Over the weekend, the vehicle aced a static fire test and full dress rehearsal with the crew—both flawless. NASA gave the go-ahead.
Crew-2, commanded by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, lifts off Friday, April 23, at 11:49 a.m. from Kennedy Space Center's historic Pad 39A in Florida. Weather prompted the one-day delay, with a backup window available.
The crew—NASA's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA's Thomas Pesquet, and JAXA's Akihiko Hoshide—will ride the Endeavour capsule. This same Dragon flew astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley during the pivotal Demo-2 mission.
Notably, Megan McArthur takes the same seat her husband, Bob Behnken, occupied. The Falcon 9 booster also supported Crew-1 in November 2020.
Over six months aboard the ISS, the team will run hundreds of experiments, including vital medical research to study microgravity's effects on the human body—paving the way for extended lunar missions.
