SpaceX Crew-2 Completes Second Operational Crew Dragon Mission to ISS
SpaceX Crew-2 successfully transports four international astronauts to the International Space Station for a nearly 200-day mission. This milestone marks the second operational flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
SpaceX Crew-2 operates as the second operational flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the third overall crewed orbital flight of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. A Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket successfully launches the Crew Dragon Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center, carrying a diverse crew of four astronauts representing NASA, JAXA, and ESA.
The international crew consists of NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet. They spend 199 days in low Earth orbit, conducting scientific research and station maintenance as part of Expedition 65 and Expedition 66 aboard the International Space Station.
During the extended mission, the Crew Dragon spacecraft performs a complex port relocation maneuver to accommodate incoming vehicles. The mission concludes successfully in November 2021 when the Endeavour capsule splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, Florida, safely returning all four crew members to Earth.