Historic SpaceX Crew-7 Mission Under NASA: An Introduction to the Astronauts

The Crew-7 mission’s quartet of astronauts assembled for a photograph inside the SpaceX Hangar X located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lineup consists of Konstantin Borisov, Andreas Mogensen, Jasmin Moghbeli, and Satoshi Furukawa. Image courtesy: SpaceX

Astronauts from NASA, ESA, and JAXA, as well as a cosmonaut from Roscosmos, are prepared for the forthcoming Crew-7 mission. This venture is unprecedented, as it will be the first to include three international astronauts headed for the space station while also featuring a non-NASA astronaut at the helm of a Dragon spacecraft in the Commercial Crew Program.

Slated for the Crew-7 mission are NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA’s Andreas Mogensen, JAXA’s Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos’s Konstantin Borisov. Moghbeli, who has an illustrious background as a Marine Corps pilot, will function as the mission commander. Mogensen, the inaugural Dane in space, is assigned the role of the pilot. Furukawa is gearing up for his second space mission and will serve as a flight engineer, while Borisov is on the verge of embarking on his first journey to space. Notably, Crew-7 stands as a milestone by being the first commercial launch to include three international astronauts and featuring a non-NASA astronaut in the pilot’s seat for the Commercial Crew Program.

Within the crew quarters at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Crew-7 astronauts are in the suit-up room on August 26, 2023. A cadre of SpaceX suit technicians is assisting them in donning their tailor-made spacesuits and conducting leak checks in preparation for boarding their Dragon spacecraft. Image courtesy: NASA TV

Jasmin Moghbeli

Jasmin Moghbeli will undertake her first spaceflight following her selection as a NASA astronaut in 2017. A native of New York, Moghbeli holds a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering with information technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in the same field from the Naval Postgraduate School. With a background as a helicopter and Marine Corps test pilot, Moghbeli has completed over 150 combat missions and accumulated more than 2,000 flight hours in an array of 25 different aircraft. She is also an alumnus of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. In her capacity as mission commander, she will oversee all phases of the mission, from launch to re-entry, and will serve as a flight engineer for Expedition 69/70 on the space station.

Andreas Mogensen

Andreas Mogensen was chosen as an astronaut by the European Space Agency in 2009 and subsequently became Denmark’s first citizen to go to space following a 10-day mission on a Soyuz spacecraft to the space station in 2015. As the Crew-7 pilot, he will have the responsibility for spacecraft systems and performance metrics. While at the space station, he will assume the role of a flight engineer for Expedition 69/70. A native of Copenhagen, Denmark, Mogensen is an aeronautical engineering graduate from Imperial College London and holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He has also participated in NEEMO missions 17 and 19 and served as the European astronaut liaison officer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center between 2016 and 2022.

Satoshi Furukawa

Satoshi Furukawa is preparing for his second voyage to space, having previously spent 165 days as a member of Expeditions 28 and 29 in 2011. Originating from Kanagawa, Japan, he was chosen as a JAXA astronaut in 1999. Furukawa is a medical doctor with degrees from the University of Tokyo. He has also served on the 13th NEEMO mission and was later appointed the leader of JAXA’s Space Biomedical Research Group. During his time on the space station, he will act as a flight engineer for Expedition 69/70.

Konstantin Borisov

This will be the first space mission for Konstantin Borisov, who will work as a mission specialist monitoring the spacecraft during the crucial launch and re-entry phases. Borisov joined the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps as a test cosmonaut candidate in 2018 and is scheduled to serve as a flight engineer during Expedition 69/70.

This Crew-7 mission distinguishes itself as the first commercial mission to deliver three international astronauts to the space station and also marks the debut of a non-NASA astronaut serving as the pilot of a Dragon spacecraft within the Commercial Crew Program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about NASA’s Crew-7 Mission

More about NASA’s Crew-7 Mission

• NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
• European Space Agency (ESA) Official Website
• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Official Website
• Roscosmos Official Website
• Kennedy Space Center
• International Space Station (ISS)
• NEEMO Missions
• Naval Postgraduate School
• MIT Aerospace Engineering
• Imperial College London Aeronautical Engineering
• University of Texas at Austin Aerospace Engineering
• University of Tokyo Medical Science