posted 10-06-2021 10:21 AM               

NASA Announces Astronaut Changes for Upcoming Commercial Crew Missions

NASA has reassigned astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada to the agency's SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Crew Program.

Above: NASA crew members of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station. Pictured from left are NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada. (NASA)

Mann and Cassada will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-5 mission. Additional crew members will be announced later.

Crew-5 is expected to launch no earlier than fall 2022 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The duo and their crewmates will join an expedition crew aboard station for a long duration stay to conduct science activities for the benefit of humanity and exploration.

"Nicole and Josh have done a tremendous job pioneering the training and path forward for astronauts to fly on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. They have gained experience that they will take forward as they train to fly in SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and serve aboard the International Space Station," said Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The NASA team is fortunate to have two commercial crew partners and will continue to work with Boeing and SpaceX to prepare NASA astronauts and our international partners to fly to and from the International Space Station on U.S. spacecraft."

Mann and Cassada previously were assigned to missions on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test and NASA's Boeing Starliner-1 mission, respectively. NASA decided it was important to make these reassignments to allow Boeing time to complete the development of Starliner while continuing plans for astronauts to gain spaceflight experience for the future needs of the agency's missions.

Mann is a California native and a colonel in the Marine Corps. She earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering with a specialty in fluid mechanics from Stanford University. She is an F/A-18 test pilot with more than 2,500 flight hours in more than 25 aircraft. NASA selected Mann as an astronaut in 2013. This will be her first trip to space.

"It has been the opportunity of a lifetime to train on a brand-new spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, and it has been fantastic to work with the Boeing team," Mann said. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to train on another new spacecraft – the SpaceX Crew Dragon – and appreciate the teams at NASA who have made that possible. I am ready to fly and serve on the International Space Station."

Cassada grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and is a physicist and U.S. Navy test pilot. He attended college in Michigan and then completed his Ph.D. research at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory before becoming a naval aviator. Cassada has accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours in over 45 different aircraft. NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2013. This will be his first spaceflight.

"It has been great to spend the last few years training with the joint Boeing and NASA team, and I am really looking forward to now have a chance to also train with SpaceX on a new spacecraft. Cross training on both programs is a unique opportunity to learn, but also to provide valuable insight to future astronauts flying these spacecraft," Cassada said. "And, of course, Nicole and I are incredibly excited to get to work aboard the International Space Station, executing current operations and also contributing to future exploration beyond low-earth orbit."

posted 10-11-2021 09:54 PM               

Announcement of the Space Vehicle for JAXA Astronaut Koichi Wakata’s International Space Station (ISS) Expedition

JAXA astronaut, Koichi Wakata, currently preparing and training for the ISS Expedition, has been decided to board the fifth operational Crew Dragon developed by SpaceX. The launch is scheduled for autumn 2022 or later.

This is his fifth space flight, marking the highest number of flights as a Japanese astronaut. The flight schedule will be announced when more details are available.

Comment from Astronaut Koichi Wakata

It has been decided that I will be boarding the SpaceX’s fifth Crew Dragon. I have been training for a long duration mission aboard the ISS and it is an honor to board this new space vehicle for three consecutive years for JAXA astronauts, succeeding Soichi Noguchi and Akihiko Hoside.

It will be my fifth flight to space, following three U.S. Space Shuttle fights in 1996, 2000, and 2009, and a Russian Soyuz flight in 2013. This coming flight is going to be my first flight onboard a commercial space Vehicle. I recognize remarkable developments in the space field and acknowledge dynamic activities by the private sector on the low Earth orbit.

As the world is still coping with COVID-19, I will continue my focus on training and ask you for continued support.

posted 07-15-2022 10:26 AM               

Kikina, along with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, is targeted to launch on NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 in September from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

posted 07-21-2022 01:51 PM               

Crew-5 launch delayed to replace Falcon interstage

NASA and SpaceX are preparing for the fifth crew rotation mission of the company's human space transportation system to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 mission is targeted to launch no earlier than Sept. 29, 2022, to the microgravity laboratory for a science expedition mission with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA's (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

A launch at the end of September will allow SpaceX to complete hardware processing and mission teams will continue to review the launch date based on the space station's visiting spacecraft schedule. Launch of Crew-5 now will take place after a scheduled Soyuz undocking and launch period from Sept. 16-30.

Crew-5 astronauts will fly to the space station in Dragon Endurance, currently undergoing refurbishment for its second human spaceflight at SpaceX's processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft previously flew the agency's Crew-3 mission to and from the space station. As part of the refurbishment process, teams will install new components such as the heat shield, parachutes, and pod panels.

This also will be the first time all four forward bulkhead Draco engines, which orient and provide altitude adjustment for the spacecraft during flight, are reused on a NASA commercial crew mission. SpaceX recently completed Dragon's propulsion system checkouts and will soon mate the heat shield to the spacecraft.

Once refurbishment is complete, Dragon will be stacked to its trunk ahead of transporting the vehicle to SpaceX's hangar at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

As teams progress through Dragon milestones, they also are preparing a first-flight Falcon 9 booster for this mission. SpaceX is removing and replacing the rocket's interstage and some onboard instrumentation after the hardware was damaged during transport from SpaceX's production factory in Hawthorne, California, to the company's McGregor test facility in Texas for stage testing.

SpaceX teams completed – and NASA teams reviewed – load, shock, and structural analyses, coupled with detailed and X-ray inspections, to verify the damage was isolated to the interstage and ensure the integrity of the rest of the booster. After all replacement hardware is installed, the booster will undergo stage testing and be further assessed prior to acceptance and certification for flight.

Once all rocket and spacecraft system checkouts are complete and all components are certified for flight, teams will mate Dragon to the Falcon 9 rocket in SpaceX's hangar at LC-39A. The integrated spacecraft and rocket will then be rolled to the pad and raised to vertical for an integrated static fire test prior to launch.

posted 08-25-2022 09:35 AM               

NASA, SpaceX Adjust Crew-5 Launch Date

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 12:45 p.m. EDT Monday, Oct. 3, for the launch of the agency's Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station. The date adjustment allows for extra separation with spacecraft traffic coming to and from the space station.

Following a crew handover period, astronauts from NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 mission are scheduled for return to Earth in October aboard their SpaceX Dragon Freedom.

posted 09-27-2022 03:23 PM               

NASA adjusts Crew-5 launch due to Hurricane Ian

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 12:23 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Oct. 4, for the launch of the agency's Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station with a backup opportunity on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Mission teams will continue to monitor the impacts of Ian on the Space Coast and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and could adjust the launch date again, as necessary. More updates on the planning schedule, including crew arrival from the agency's Johnson Space Center to Kennedy, will be provided in the coming days. Based on current schedules, crew arrival is planned no earlier than Friday, Sept. 30. The safety of the crew, ground teams, and hardware are the utmost importance to NASA and SpaceX.

The Dragon Endurance spacecraft is currently mated to the Falcon 9 rocket and safely secured inside SpaceX's hangar at Launch Complex 39A. Kennedy Space Center is also making preparations across the spaceport to secure other property and infrastructure. After the storm progresses, teams from NASA and SpaceX will evaluate the potential impacts to the center and determine whether to adjust the mission timeline further.

Undocking of the agency's Crew-4 mission from the space station will move day-for-day along with the Crew-5 launch date to allow a planned five-day direct handover between crews.

posted 09-28-2022 07:31 PM               

NASA Shifts Crew-5 Launch Date Due to Hurricane Ian

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than noon EDT Wednesday, Oct. 5, for the launch of the agency's Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station with a U.S. Eastern Range backup date on Oct. 7. Mission management teams also are exploring potential range opportunities on Oct. 6 pending review of the phasing timeline, Oct. 8, and Oct. 9.

Mission teams continue to monitor the impacts of Ian on the Space Coast and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and could adjust the launch date again, as necessary. As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Kennedy Space Center declared HURCON I status with the ride out team sheltered in place at their designated locations until the storm passes.

More updates on the planning schedule, including crew arrival from the agency's Johnson Space Center to Kennedy, will be provided in the coming days and will depend on weather and center status. The safety of the crew, ground teams, and hardware remain the utmost importance to NASA and SpaceX.

posted 10-02-2022 04:07 PM               

Crew-5, SpaceX, and NASA completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities.

Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete ahead of the Crew-5 mission to the space station.

posted 10-05-2022 11:37 AM               

SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts launch aboard Dragon 'Endurance' to space station

The first Native American woman to fly in space and the only woman in Russia's active cosmonaut corps lifted off together for the International Space Station, flying with a first-time NASA pilot and a Japanese engineer who is returning to space for his fifth time.

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, who in addition to being an enrolled member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California is the first woman to command a U.S. commercial spacecraft, launched on Wednesday (Oct. 5) with Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, active U.S. Navy Captain and physicist Josh Cassada and Koichi Wakata of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).

The four members of Crew-5 are now in orbit on the SpaceX Dragon "Endurance," having rode a Falcon 9 rocket from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:00 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT). They are scheduled to arrive at the space station at 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 GMT) on Thursday.

posted 10-06-2022 04:02 PM               

Dragon Endurance docks at space station

NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday (Oct. 6). The SpaceX Dragon "Endurance" made contact with the station at 5:01 p.m. EDT (2101 GMT).

Following the Dragon's docking to the forward-facing port of the Harmony module, the astronauts aboard Endurance and the space station were to begin conducting standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft and then proceed with hatch opening.

Mann, Cassada, Wakata and Kikina are joining the Expedition 68 crew of Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins and Frank Rubio all of NASA, Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin of Roscosmos. For a short time, the number of crew on the space station will increase to 11 people until NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 departs later this month.

posted 03-11-2023 01:24 AM               

Dragon Endurance undocks from station

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance undocked from the forward-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony module at 2:20 a.m. EDT (0720 GMT) on Saturday (March 11) to complete a nearly six-month mission.

Endurance and the Crew-5 astronauts are scheduled to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Tampa, Florida, at about 9:02 p.m. EST (0202 GMT March 12).

posted 03-11-2023 08:15 PM               

SpaceX Crew-5 splashes down in Gulf after 155 days at space station

Anna Kikina is now the first Russian cosmonaut to intentionally splash down from space.

Returning to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft "Endurance," Kikina and her three Crew-5 astronaut crewmates — Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada of NASA and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) — landed off the coast of Tampa, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday (March 11) at 9:02 p.m. EDT (0202 GMT on March 12). The parachute-assisted descent marked the ending of a 157-day mission, including 155 days spent on board the International Space Station.