SpaceX's Crew-7 Dragon capsule to dock at ISS with four astronauts aboard. Here's how to watch it live online.
SpaceX, the private space company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, is set to launch its eighth crewed mission for NASA on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The mission, known as Crew-7, will carry four astronauts from four different countries and space agencies to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will join the seven crew members already on board. The launch is scheduled for 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and you can watch it live online in a free livestream.
The Crew-7 astronauts are:
- Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, who will serve as the mission commander. Moghbeli is a U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and a former test pilot. She is the second Iranian-American to fly in space, after Anousheh Ansari in 2006.
- Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (ESA), who will serve as the pilot. Mogensen is a Danish engineer and astronaut who flew to the ISS for a 10-day mission in 2015. He is the first European to pilot a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
- Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), who will serve as a mission specialist. Furukawa is a Japanese physician and astronaut who spent 167 days on the ISS in 2011. He is also an avid manga fan and has drawn comics in space.
- Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos, who will also serve as a mission specialist. Borisov is a Russian cosmonaut and engineer who is making his first spaceflight. He is one of the few cosmonauts to fly on a U.S.-built spacecraft, as Russia usually uses its own Soyuz rockets and capsules.
The Crew-7 mission marks the first time that four astronauts from four different nations and space agencies fly together on the same Dragon capsule. It also marks the first time that a Russian cosmonaut flies on a SpaceX vehicle, as Roscosmos has been reluctant to cooperate with SpaceX in the past due to political and technical issues.
The Crew-7 mission is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to end the U.S. reliance on Russian rockets for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. The program has contracted SpaceX and Boeing to develop and operate reusable spacecraft that can ferry crews to low-Earth orbit. SpaceX has been leading the program with its Dragon capsules and Falcon 9 rockets, while Boeing has been lagging behind with its Starliner capsules and Atlas V rockets.
The Crew-7 mission will be the seventh operational flight for SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program, and the eighth overall (including a crewed test flight in 2020). It will also be SpaceX's 11th crewed mission when including three private astronaut flights in recent years.
The Crew-7 mission will last for about six months, during which the astronauts will conduct scientific experiments, perform maintenance tasks, and participate in outreach activities. They will also welcome several cargo and crew vehicles that will arrive at the ISS during their stay, including another SpaceX Dragon capsule, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, a Russian Progress resupply ship, and a Russian Soyuz crewed capsule.
The Crew-7 mission will begin with a spectacular launch from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, where many historic NASA missions have lifted off, such as Apollo 11 and STS-1. The launch window will open at 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT) on Saturday, August 26, 2023, and will last for about five minutes. The weather forecast for the launch site gives a 95% chance of favorable conditions.
You can watch the launch live online, courtesy of NASA TV and SpaceX, starting at 2:30 a.m. EDT (0630 GMT). It will appear at start time in the window above ¹, or you can watch directly from NASA TV ² or SpaceX ³.
After liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will propel the Dragon capsule into orbit, where it will separate from the rocket's second stage about nine minutes later. The rocket's first stage will then attempt to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, while the Dragon capsule will begin its solo journey to the ISS.
The Dragon capsule will spend nearly 24 hours carefully maneuvering toward the ISS, which orbits about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth's surface. The capsule will perform several burns and checks to adjust its speed and altitude, as well as test its communication and navigation systems.
The capsule will also perform a rendezvous maneuver with another Dragon capsule that is already docked at the ISS, carrying cargo and supplies for the station's crew. The two capsules will fly in formation for a few minutes, allowing the astronauts to take photos and videos of each other.
The capsule will then approach the ISS from below and align itself with a space-facing port on the station's U.S.-built Harmony module. The capsule will use its thrusters and sensors to autonomously dock itself to the port, without any input from the astronauts or the ground control.
The docking is expected to occur at 8:39 a.m. EDT (1239 GMT) on Sunday, August 27, 2023. You can watch the docking live online, courtesy of NASA TV and SpaceX, starting at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 GMT). It will appear at start time in the window above ¹, or you can watch directly from NASA TV ² or SpaceX ³.
After the docking, the Dragon capsule and the ISS will pressurize their hatches and perform leak checks. The hatches will then open, and the Crew-7 astronauts will be welcomed by the ISS crew, which consists of NASA's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA's Thomas Pesquet, JAXA's Akihiko Hoshide, and Roscosmos' Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov.
The Crew-7 astronauts will then begin their six-month mission on the ISS, where they will work as part of Expedition 66 and 67. They will also prepare for the departure of the Crew-6 astronauts, who will return to Earth shortly after the Crew-7 arrival.
The Crew-7 mission is a milestone for SpaceX, NASA, and the international space community, as it demonstrates the capabilities and benefits of commercial and cooperative spaceflight. It also showcases the diversity and talent of the astronauts who represent their countries and agencies on the ISS.