Crew Dragon Freedom (serial number C212) is the fourth operational Crew Dragon reusable spacecraft manufactured and operated by SpaceX. It first launched on 27 April 2022 to the International Space Station (ISS) on the SpaceX Crew-4 mission. It was subsequently used for two private spaceflight missions to the ISS operated by Axiom Space, Axiom Mission 2 in May 2023 and Axiom Mission 3 in January 2024. It most recently launched to space in September 2024 on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. The capsule was named after the fundamental human right of freedom and the Freedom 7 capsule that took astronaut Alan Shepard on the first human spaceflight from the United States.
History
On 23 March 2022, it was announced that Dragon C212 had been given the name Freedom. Astronaut Kjell Lindgren said that the name was chosen because it celebrates a fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that emanate from the unencumbered human spirit.[2] The name also honors Freedom 7, the space capsule used by Alan Shepard's Mercury Redstone 3, the first United States human spaceflight mission (May 5, 1961).[3][4]
On 16 April 2022, Freedom was transported from SpaceX's processing facility in Cape Canaveral to Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.[5]Freedom's maiden flight, SpaceX Crew-4, was originally scheduled for 20 April 2022 but was delayed to 23 April due to launch preparations.[6] The mission was later delayed again because the docking port needed for arrival (Harmony zenith port) was occupied by Crew Dragon Endeavour on Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1). Ax-1's departure, originally set for 19 April, was delayed until 25 April due to bad weather in the recovery zones in the Atlantic Ocean.[7]Freedom successfully launched for SpaceX Crew-4 on 27 April 2022.[8]
Flights
List includes only completed or currently manifested missions. Dates are listed in UTC, and for future events, they are the earliest possible opportunities (also known as NET dates) and may change.
Fully private flight to the ISS. Contracted by Axiom Space. Axiom employee served as commander, Saudi Space Agency bought two seats and sent two astronauts to research cancer, cloud seeding, and microgravity.[9] Third seat purchased by a tourist.
Long-duration mission. Was the first crewed mission to launch from SLC-40.[10] Launch was delayed and will ferry two crew members of the Expedition 72 crew to the ISS and will return them along with the crew from the Boeing Crew Flight Test because of issues with the Boeing StarlinerCalypso.[11]
