SpaceX Crew-2 Astronaut Arrival

Representatives from NASA participate in a media event at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, April 16, 2021, upon the arrival of NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur – who will serve as the mission’s spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively – along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists in advance of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Participants include: NASA Acting Administrator Steve Jurzczyk; Bob Cabana, director, Kennedy Space Center; Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA; Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA,; NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Megan McArtur, pilot; JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist. Launch is currently targeted for 6:11 a.m. ET Thursday, April 22. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, name Endeavour by the Crew-2 astronauts, will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.