Crew-7 astronauts arrive in Florida ahead of flight to International Space Station

The four members of the Crew-7 mission arrived at Kennedy Space Center and are in the final quarantine phase before starting their journey to the International Space Station. Launch week has begun with several events taking place as we get ready to see Crew-7 liftoff.

Crew-7 includes NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, the European Space Agency’s Andreas Mogensen, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa, and Russia’s Konstantin Borisov. They are scheduled to fly to space atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 3:49 a.m. EDT on August 25, from LC-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Crew quarantine begins ahead of launch

This pre-launch quarantine procedure, known as flight crew health stabilization, is a standard part of the final preparations for space station missions. The two-week quarantine prior to liftoff is a precautionary measure to ensure the health of the Crew-7 members and safeguard the astronauts and cosmonauts already aboard the ISS. 

The crew arrived in Florida from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Sunday, ahead of their launch to the space station. During this isolation period, they have limited contact with others to prevent any potential illness. 

Family members and specific launch and flight team members are cleared to interact with the crew during this period, although most interactions will occur remotely.

This is the eighth human spaceflight flight supported by a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the seventh crew-rotation mission to the ISS since 2020.

As Crew-7 progresses through its pre-flight checklist, SpaceX is concurrently preparing a Falcon 9 rocket for flight. After successful system checks, the spacecraft will be integrated with the rocket. This mission is using Crew Dragon Endurance, which will be flying for the third time.

Subsequently, a dry dress rehearsal and an integrated static fire test may be conducted before launch. 

The crew of SpaceX’s Crew-7 flight

Crew-7 consists of a diverse group of flyers from different countries.

Moghbeli, a seasoned helicopter, and Marine Corps test pilot is serving as the mission commander, overseeing all flight phases. This will be her first spaceflight.

Mogensen, the first Danish citizen in space, is the mission’s pilot, responsible for spacecraft systems and performance. This will be his second trip to space.

Furukawa, a physician from Japan, is on his second long-duration flight to the ISS, the first occurring in 2011. Russian cosmonaut Borisov, meanwhile, will be flying to space for the first time. Both are serving the Crew-7 flight as mission specialists. 

The six-month mission is expected to encompass various scientific studies, including the examination of human responses to different spaceflight durations, physiological aspects of sleep, and the collection of microbial samples from the space station’s exterior. 

Upon completion of their mission and handover with Crew-8 in the first quarter of 2024, the Dragon spacecraft with its crew aboard will autonomously undock, re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and make a splashdown off the coast of Florida for recovery.