{"id":10548,"date":"2022-04-27T17:50:27","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T09:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/three-americans-one-italian-launch-on-spacexs-new-freedom-spacecraft\/"},"modified":"2022-04-27T17:50:27","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T09:50:27","slug":"three-americans-one-italian-launch-on-spacexs-new-freedom-spacecraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/three-americans-one-italian-launch-on-spacexs-new-freedom-spacecraft\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Americans, one Italian launch on SpaceX\u2019s new \u201cFreedom\u201d spacecraft"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Freedom spacecraft take off from pad 39A early Wednesday to begin the Crew-4 mission. Credit: NASA\/Joel Kowsky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Four astronauts rocketed into a clear predawn sky early Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, riding SpaceX\u2019s newest Dragon spacecraft \u2014 named \u201cFreedom\u201d \u2014 to kick off a planned four-and-a-half month science expedition at the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

Commander Kjell Lindgren, flanked by Pilot Bob \u201cFarmer\u201d Hines and mission specialists Samantha Cristoforetti and Jessica Watkins, took off from historic pad 39A at the Florida spaceport at 3:52:55 a.m. EDT (0752:55 GMT) Wednesday, vaulting into the sky atop a column of bright orange flame from the Falcon 9 rocket\u2019s nine Merlin main engines.<\/p>\n

Within about a minute, the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket were flying faster than the speed of sound, heading northeast from Kennedy over the Atlantic Ocean to line up with the trajectory of the space station.<\/p>\n

The Falcon 9 hit its marks on the nine-minute climb into orbit, shedding its no-longer-needed first stage and igniting a single engine on the upper stage to place the Dragon Freedom spacecraft at the right altitude and velocity to start the mission, known as Crew-4, SpaceX\u2019s fourth operational crew rotation flight to the station.<\/p>\n

The upper stage deployed the Dragon Freedom capsule at an altitude of roughly 120 miles (200 kilometers) about 12 minutes after liftoff. A few minutes earlier, live video from SpaceX\u2019s booster stage showed the rocket landing on a drone ship parked several hundred miles downrange in the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n

The on-target landing completed the booster\u2019s fourth flight to space. The reusable rocket \u2014 tail number B1067 \u2014 previously launched a space station cargo mission, a crew mission, and a Turkish communications satellite.<\/p>\n

For Lindgren and his crewmates, the early morning launch was the first phase of a 16-hour flight to the space station, where they will replace the Crew-3 astronauts, who have lived and worked at the complex since November.<\/p>\n

\u201cFreedom, LD, I hope you enjoyed your ride,\u201d SpaceX\u2019s launch director radioed the crew shortly after launch. \u201cIt\u2019s been an honor flying you Kjell, Farmer, Samantha, Jessica. Have a safe journey to space station. Say hi to Crew-3 for us, and we look forward to seeing you when you get home. Indeed, the dream is alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom Freedom, we want say a big thank you to SpaceX, the commercial crew program and specifically the Falcon 9 team for a great ride,\u201d Lindgren replied from space. \u201cIt is a privilege to get to fly this new vehicle, the Crew Dragon Freedom, to orbit. Huge thanks to the team who assembled and prepared her for flight. We\u2019re feeling great and looking forward to the view.\u201d<\/p>\n