Crew-4 mission timeline

The timeline below covers major vehicle and crew activities during the Crew-4 countdown and rendezvous with the International Space Station. All times assume liftoff of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 3:52:55 a.m. EDT (0752:55 GMT) on Wednesday, April 27. All times in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4).

TUESDAY, APRIL 26

10:22:55 p.m. EDT: Chief engineer launch readiness briefing 10:52:55 p.m. EDT: Launch shift arrives in Firing Room 4; Dragon IMU align/configure for launch 11:22:55 p.m. EDT: Dragon prop pressurization 11:32:55 p.m. EDT: Crew weather brief 11:42:55 p.m. EDT: Crew handoff to SpaceX 11:52:55 p.m. EDT: Suit donning and checkouts 11:52:55 p.m. EDT: Launch director readiness poll for advance team to enter Blast Danger Area 11:57:55 p.m. EDT: Advance team travels to pad 39A

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27

12:00 a.m. EDT: NASA TV coverage begins 12:02:55 a.m. EDT: ISS state vector uploaded to Dragon 12:32:55 a.m. EDT: Crew walkout from Neil Armstrong O&C Building 12:37:55 a.m. EDT: Crew departs for pad 39A in Tesla Model Xs 12:57:55 a.m. EDT: Crew arrives at pad 39A 1:17:55 a.m. EDT: Astronauts ingress into Crew Dragon 1:32:55 a.m. EDT: Crew communications checks 1:37:55 a.m. EDT: Verify ready for seat rotation 1:38:55 a.m. EDT: Suit leak checks 1:57:55 a.m. EDT: Hatch closed for flight 3:07:55 a.m. EDT: SpaceX launch director verifies go for propellant load 3:10:55 a.m. EDT: Crew access arm retracts 3:14:55 a.m. EDT: Launch escape system armed 3:17:55 a.m. EDT: 1st and 2nd stage RP-1 fuel load begins; 1st stage LOX load begins 3:36:55 a.m. EDT: 2nd stage LOX load begins 3:45:55 a.m. EDT: 1st stage engine chill begins 3:47:55 a.m. EDT: Dragon transitions to internal power 3:48:25 a.m. EST: Strongback retraction begins 3:48:35 a.m. EDT: 1st stage fully loaded with RP-1 3:49:15 a.m. EDT: Autonomous Flight Termination System final setup 3:49:50 a.m. EDT: M-Vac engine igniter purge 3:49:55 a.m. EDT: 1st stage LOX tank full; Strongback at ~1.7 degrees 3:50:55 a.m. EDT: 2nd stage LOX tank full 3:51:55 a.m. EDT: Flight computer starts final pre-flight checks; F9 prop tanks pressurize for flight 3:52:10 a.m. EDT: SpaceX launch director verifies go for launch 3:52:52 a.m. EDT: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence

 

3:52:55 a.m. EDT: Liftoff

 

3:52:55 a.m. EDT: Stage 1a abort mode 3:53:05 a.m. EDT: Pitch kick 3:53:48 a.m. EDT: Stage 1 throttle bucket 3:53:57 a.m. EDT: Max-Q 3:54:04 a.m. EDT: Mach 1 3:54:09 a.m. EDT: Stage 1b abort mode 3:55:30 a.m. EDT: Stage 2a abort mode 3:55:31 a.m. EDT: MECO; 1st stage engines cut off 3:55:34 a.m. EDT: Stage separation 3:55:42 a.m. EDT: 2nd stage’s M-Vac engine ignites 3:57:15 a.m. EDT: Bermuda ground station acquires F9 and Dragon signals 4:00:23 a.m. EDT: 1st stage entry burn

 

4:01:43 a.m. EDT: SECO-1; 2nd stage M-Vac engine shuts down; Orbit insertion

 

4:01:57 a.m. EDT: 1st stage landing burn 4:02:25 a.m. EDT: 1st stage landing on droneship 4:04:54 a.m. EDT: Dragon separates from 2nd stage; Begin Draco thruster checkouts 4:05:42 a.m. EDT: Dragon nosecone open sequence begins 4:41 a.m. EDT: Phase burn using Draco thrusters 5:30 a.m. EDT: Post-launch news conference on NASA TV 5:34 a.m. EDT: Crew downlink opportunity (approximate time) 7:00 a.m. EDT: Crew-4 sleep shift begins 1:35 p.m. EDT: Boost burn using Draco thrusters 3:00 p.m. EDT: Crew-2 wakeup 2:20 p.m. EDT: Close burn using Draco thrusters 3:56 p.m. EDT: Transfer burn using Draco thrusters 4:43 p.m. EDT: Coelliptic burn using Draco thrusters 4:45 p.m. EDT: Crew downlink opportunity (approximate time) 5:09 p.m. EDT: Crew Dragon range 30 kilometers from ISS 6:00 p.m. EDT: Crew Dragon range 15 kilometers from ISS 6:14 p.m. EDT: Go/no go decision for approach initiation burn 6:17 p.m. EDT: Crew Dragon range 10 kilometers from ISS 6:39 p.m. EDT: Approach initiation burn; Crew Dragon range 7.5 kilometers from ISS 6:45 p.m. EDT: Crew Dragon range 6 kilometers from ISS 7:04 p.m. EDT: Approach initiation midcourse burn 7:11 p.m. EDT: Crew Dragon range 1 kilometer from ISS 7:14 p.m. EDT: Go/no go decision to enter ISS keep out sphere (a 200-meter zone around the ISS) 7:24 p.m. EDT: Waypoint Zero arrival (400 meters below ISS) 7:48 p.m. EDT: Go/no go decision to approach Waypoint 2 7:58 p.m. EDT: Docking axis/Waypoint 1 arrival (220 meters in front of ISS) 8:04 p.m. EDT: Go/no go decision for docking 8:09 p.m. EDT: Waypoint 2 arrival and hold (20 meters from ISS) 8:10 p.m. EDT: Resume approach from Waypoint 2 (20 meters from ISS)

 

8:15 p.m. EDT: Contact and capture at IDA-3 on zenith port of the Harmony module

 

8:28 p.m. EDT: Docking sequence complete; All hooks closed; Power umbilicals mated 8:40 p.m. EDT: Leak checks begin between Crew Dragon and ISS 9:05 p.m. EDT: Leak checks complete; Vestibule pressurization 9:45 p.m. EDT: Hatch opening; Crew-2 astronauts enter ISS

THURSDAY, APRIL 28

7:45 a.m. EDT: Welcome ceremony

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