SpaceX launch set to ferry four astronauts to the ISS, easing three-person crew
SpaceX and NASA began the final hours of countdown for a Crew Dragon liftoff from Florida, aiming to send four astronauts to the International Space Station and restore the orbiting lab to a fuller staffing level after weeks with just three people aboard.
Countdown enters final phase at Cape Canaveral
With the crew strapped in and the hatch closed, the launch campaign moved inside the last two hours before liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Teams reported the spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket in stable configuration as weather and range assessments continued in Eastern Time. A successful ascent would mark another crew rotation flight under the commercial partnership that has kept human launches flowing from the Space Coast.
Why this mission matters for the ISS
The station has been operating with a lean, three-person contingent, shifting priorities to maintenance and essential science while awaiting fresh arrivals. The incoming quartet is expected to expand the pace of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, and cargo handling. The handover plan includes safety briefings, systems walk-throughs, and a step-up in daily operations once docking and hatch opening are complete.
A flight-proven Dragon and a well-worn playbook
The crew will ride a flight-proven Dragon capsule that has supported previous missions, part of a reuse strategy that has become routine for the program. After a standard series of checkouts on the pad, Falcon 9 will light nine Merlin engines for a climb northeast over the Atlantic. Stage separation will be followed by a boost to orbit, a Dragon trunk deployment, and a sequence of burns to align with the station. The chase and rendezvous typically unfold over roughly a day in ET, with an automated docking, leak checks, and welcome ceremony to follow.
Launch choreography amid Artemis II delays
Mission planners have juggled a tight calendar on the Space Coast, sequencing this crew flight to keep station operations on track while work continues on the lunar program’s next steps. A recent rehearsal for the mega rocket that will carry the first crewed lunar flyby revealed a leak issue, pushing that mission’s earliest target into March in ET. Prioritizing today’s orbital departure clears the way for continued testing and pad availability as lunar teams troubleshoot and refine timelines.
What to watch after liftoff
Key milestones after launch include Dragon’s nosecone opening, initial phasing burns in ET, and a propulsion system check ahead of rendezvous. On approach, the spacecraft will pause at designated waypoints before final approach and soft capture. Once aboard, the new crew will begin a short overlap with the current residents to transfer responsibilities, science packages, and maintenance tasks. The departing team will later return to Earth for a splashdown off Florida, pending weather.
The broader trajectory: low Earth orbit to lunar ambitions
This mission underscores the steady cadence of human spaceflight from Florida as commercial systems shoulder routine trips to and from low Earth orbit. At the same time, long-range goals are in flux. The company’s top executive recently signaled a near-term emphasis on building up infrastructure for the Moon, describing an eventual vision of a growing settlement before pushing deeper into the solar system. While those ambitions hinge on developing next-generation vehicles, crew rotation flights like this one remain the backbone of current human spaceflight, sustaining the ISS as a continuous laboratory for research that informs future exploration.
