NASA SpaceX Crew-2 set for launch on April 22

Washington, April 16 (IANS) US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22, it said.The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board, will lift-off at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur -- whoa-will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively -- along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronauta-Akihikoa-Hoshidea-and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomasa-Pesquet, whoa-will serve as mission specialists to the space station, the space agency said in a statement.The mission is the second of the six certified, crew missions NASA, and SpaceX will fly as a part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme. Crew-1 successfully docked into the ISS in November, last year.The Crew-2 astronauts will remain aboard the space station for approximately six months as expedition crew members, along with three crewmates who will launch via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.The increase of the full space station crew complement to seven members -- over the previous six - will allow NASA to effectively double the amount of science that can be conducted in space, NASA said.
--IANS rvt/sdr/