LAUNCH OF CREW-4 TO THE ISS, Apr 27, 2022, KSC, 3:52 am ET

Update, April 25: Launch continues to be scheduled for April 27 at 3:52 am ET.  The full list of NASA’s related media events is in this NASA press release.

NASA TV coverage begins at 12:00 am ET and continues through docking.  Key events are:

• launch at 3:52 am ET
• docking at about 8:15 pm ET
• hatch opening at about 9:45 pm ET.  (The welcome ceremony will not take place until April 28 at 2:40 am ET.)

Update, April 23: High winds continue to delay the return of Axiom-1.  At the moment the launch of Crew-4 is planned for April 27 at 3:52 am ET.

Launch Update: @NASA and @SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 3:52am ET (7:52am UTC) Wednesday, April 27, for launch of the #Crew4 mission to the @Space_Station.

Learn more: https://t.co/Xg6mJapZkq pic.twitter.com/Gao86Oz2wg

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) April 23, 2022

Update, April 20: The launch of Crew-4 has been delayed because the return of the Axiom-1 private astronaut mission has been delayed due to weather.  Axiom-1 must depart the ISS before Crew-4 can arrive because they use the same docking port.  NASA and SpaceX want at least two days between Axiom-1’s splashdown and Crew-4’s launch.

At the moment, the earliest launch date for Crew 4 is April 26 at 4:15 am ET, but is subject to change. NASA did not announce when docking would occur.

Update: April 15: NASA will hold a number of media briefings and news conferences in conjunction with this launch.  See our separate Calendar entries for those or NASA’s press release.

NASA TV coverage will begin at 1:45 am ET on the day of launch, April 23, and continue through docking and the welcome ceremony on April 24.

Launch is at 5:26 am ET, and a post-launch news conference is scheduled for approximately 7:00 am ET (see our separate Calendar entry).

Update, April 12:  NASA now says the launch will be on April 23 at 5:26 am ET.

Launch Update ➡️ @NASA and @SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than 5:26am ET Saturday, April 23, for the #Crew4 mission to the @Space_Station.

Learn more: https://t.co/SbJQkN3wZ0 pic.twitter.com/3rlUHF35F1

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) April 12, 2022

Update, April 6: The Crew-4 launch has been delayed again, by at least one day to April 21 and Kathy Lueders (AA for Space Operations) said they also are looking at April 23. They didn’t announce the time, but it moves forward about 20 minutes each day (to align with the ISS orbit), so that would put it closer to 6:00 am ET if on the 21st.

The additional spacing provides mission teams time to complete final prelaunch processing for Crew-4 following the launch of the Axiom Mission 1 to the space station. We’re taking each mission step-by-step to ensure we are moving forward safely. (2/2)

— Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) April 6, 2022

Update, April 4:  The Ax-1 launch date has slipped again, to April 8, because of problems NASA is having with the Artemis I Wet Dress Rehearsal on the adjacent launch pad.  NASA has not said if the Ax-1 delay will impact the Crew-4 launch date.

Update, March 31:  The launch date has slipped again, to April 20 at 6:37 am ET, to give more time between the Axiom-1 landing (its launch date slipped to April 6) and this launch.

Update, March 18: The launch date has slipped to April 19 because the launch of the private astronaut mission, Axiom-1, that precedes it slipped from March 30 to April 3. The Ax-1 crew will spend 8 days on ISS, then Crew-4 will arrive and spend several days there along with Crew-3 do to a hand-over of operations, then Crew-3 will depart.

Original Entry: Space X will launch the next NASA-sponsored crew to the International Space Station No Earlier Than (NET) April 15, 2022 from Kennedy Space Center, FL on the Crew-4 mission.  [SpaceX will launch a private astronaut mission to the ISS two weeks earlier, on March 30, the Ax-1 mission.]

NASA and SpaceX did not announce the launch time as of March 12, but other sources say it is at 12:32 UTC, which is 8:32 am EDT.

The Crew-4 complement is:

• Kjell Lindgren (NASA)
• Robert Hines (NASA)
• Jessica Watkins (NASA)
• Samantha Cristoforetti (ESA)