Four Astronauts Head to the Space Station on Historic SpaceX Mission (September 2023)

On September 1, 2023, a new crew of astronauts launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The crew consisted of three NASA astronauts, Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, as well as one European Space Agency astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti. The crew will spend six months on the ISS, conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the station.
The launch of SpaceX Crew-7 is a major milestone in NASA's plan to return humans to the Moon. The crew will help to prepare the ISS for the arrival of the Artemis Gateway, a lunar outpost that will be used to support future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The launch of SpaceX Crew-7 is also a testament to the growing partnership between NASA and SpaceX. The two organizations have worked together to develop and fly a reliable and safe way to transport astronauts to and from the ISS.