NASA’s SpaceX

Crew-4

NASA’S COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM

MISSION OVERVIEW

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew 

rotational flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and 

Falcon 9 rocket, carrying NASA astronauts Kjell 

Lindgren, mission commander, Bob Hines, pilot, 

and Jessica Watkins, mission specialist, as well as 

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha 

Cristoforetti, who also will serve as a mission 

specialist.

This is the first spaceflight for Hines and Watkins and 

the second flight for Lindgren and Cristoforetti. 

The mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at 

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew 

is scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard the 

orbiting laboratory, living and working as part of what 

is expected to be a seven member crew. 

LAUNCH VEHICLE

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

SPACECRAFT

SpaceX Crew Dragon

HEIGHT: 229.6 ft

DIAMETER: 12 ft

PROPELLENT: LOX (liquid oxygen) 

and rocket grade kerosene (RP-1)

PROPULSION: 9 SpaceX Merlin 

engines – 190,000 lbf each

LAUNCH LOCATION: Launch 

Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy 

Space Center in Florida

HEIGHT: 26.7 ft

DIAMETER: 13 ft

VOLUME: 328 ft3

CREW CAPACITY: Up to seven

RETURN: Splashdown-based 

water return off the coast of 

Florida

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

The Crew-4 mission will fly a new Crew Dragon spacecraft 

that the crew has named Freedom. The name celebrates a 

fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that 

emanate from the unencumbered human spirit. The name is 

also meant to pay tribute to Freedom 7, the first United States 

human spaceflight, and the hard work and ingenuity of those 

involved in Commercial Crew today to usher in a new era of 

human spaceflight. Crew-4 is scheduled for a long duration 

stay of up to six months aboard station conducting science 

and maintenance before returning to Earth in the fall of 2022.

Falcon 9 will launch Dragon from historic Launch Complex 

39A. It will accelerate Dragon to an orbital velocity of 17,500 

mph prior to spacecraft separation and rendezvous and 

docking with the International Space Station. This will be the 

fourth mission for this Falcon 9 which previously supported 

CRS-22, Crew-3, and Turksat-5B. Flying crew on a fourthflight booster will be a first for the Commercial Crew Program 

and a huge accomplishment for the program and industry.
MEET THE CREW-4 ASTRONAUTS

BEHIND THE DESIGN

The free-flying Dragon capsule forms the thorax of the central element 

of the patch, the Dragonfly – a beautiful and agile flyer. For many, the 

dragonfly represents transformation and good fortune. On its way to the 

International Space Station, the capsule appears suspended in low Earth

orbit with the Earth below and Moon above. Four bright stars represent 

the four crewmembers’ families and their steadfast patience, love, 

and support. The remaining multitude of stars represent the countless 

members of the NASA, SpaceX, and international partner teams, whose 

ingenuity, vigilance, and tireless work has made this mission possible.

Patch designer: Alexandra Lindgren

Kjell Lindgren

COMMANDER

Bob Hines

PILOT

Jessica Watkins

MISSION SPECIALIST

Samantha Cristoforetti

MISSION SPECIALIST

www.nasa.gov SP-2022-03-171-KSC

Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan

Previous Missions: 

Expedition 44/45

Hometown: Fayetteville, NC

Previous Missions:

First Mission

Hometown: Lafayette, CO

(born in Gaithersburg, MD)

Previous Missions: 

First Mission

Hometown: Milan, Italy

Previous Missions: 

Expedition 42/43