Godspeed Shane, Megan, Tomas, and Akihiko; and congrats to NASA, SpaceX, and the 45th Space Wing for another beautiful and successful launch!!
US Crew Vehicle-2 launched at 0549 on April 23, 2021 from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center. It is the third crewed flight of the Commercial Crew Program and first crewed US flight of 2021. The mission is also the first time a manned capsule has flown crew twice (Endeavour was used for DM-2) as well as the first to launch crew on an previously-flown booster (used for Crew-1). Both Shane Kimbrough and Akihiko Hoshide join the elite group of astronauts who have flown on three different spacecraft (Shuttle, Soyuz, and Dragon in their case) while Megan McArthur sits in the same seat her husband Bob Behnken occupied during Demonstration Mission 2. During their 6 month stay aboard the ISS, Hoside will become the second Japanese station commander.
Demonstration Mission 2: 05/30/2020 ✓
US Crew Vehicle 1: 11/15/2020 ✓
US Crew Vehicle 2: 04/23/2021 ✓
Inspiration 4: NET 09/15/2021
US Crew Vehicle 3: NET 10/23/2021
(credit to the owners of these photos)
