NASA has announced the crew of SpaceX Crew-14, the 14th commercial crew rotation mission with SpaceX under NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program. Four crew members from three space agencies will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than spring 2027 for a long duration mission.
The crew
- Kayla Barron, NASA, commander: her second flight to the station. She first flew on Crew-3 in 2021, spent 177 days in space and completed two spacewalks.
- Chris Birch, NASA, pilot: her first spaceflight. She was selected as an astronaut in 2021 and has served as a capsule communicator, including during the Artemis II mission.
- Makoto Suwa, JAXA, mission specialist: his first spaceflight. He was selected as an astronaut candidate in 2023 and completed basic training in 2024.
- Arutyun Kiviryan, Roscosmos, mission specialist: his first trip to the station. He has served as a test cosmonaut since 2023.
The mission
After docking, Crew-14 will join Expedition 75/76 on the station. The crew will carry out scientific investigations and technology demonstrations intended to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars and to benefit people on Earth.
Why it matters
The mixed crew from NASA, JAXA and Roscosmos shows that commercial crew vehicles are now the regular transport for international station crews. The station has been continuously inhabited for more than 25 years, and regular rotation flights like Crew-14 keep it staffed while commercial stations are being developed for the time after the ISS.
Related reading
- How Do Crew and Supplies Get to the ISS? The Space Station Supply Chain Explained
- How Astronauts Train: From Basic Training to Spacewalk Practice
- Starliner Update: Uncrewed Starliner-1 First, Crewed Flights by 2028 and Vulcan Certification
Sources
Cover image: The International Space Station photographed from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround in November 2021. Credit: NASA (iss066e080762), public domain.