Meet the Astronauts: NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission

The NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 mission is set to launch via a Falcon 9 rocket in a Crew Dragon on Friday, April 23, at 5:49A EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Let’s meet the astronauts who will be staying aboard the International Space Station for six months.

April 19, 2021

By: Alexia Rosenfield

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: NASA/SpaceX

Photo By: SpaceX

Photo By: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Photo By: NASA/SpaceX/Megan McArthur

NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 Astronauts

The crew for the second long-duration SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2, are pictured during a training session at the SpaceX training facility in Hawthorne, California. From left are, Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency; Pilot Megan McArthur of NASA; Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA; and Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 Astronauts

The crew for the second long-duration SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2, are pictured during a training session at the SpaceX training facility in Hawthorne, California. From left are, Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet of the (ESA (European Space Agency); Pilot Megan McArthur of NASA; Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA; and Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Commander Shane Kimbrough (NASA)

Shane Kimbrough became a NASA astronaut in 2004. He joined the agency in 2000 as a Flight Simulation Engineer on the Shuttle Training Aircraft. He has two spacewalks under his belt and has logged a total of 189 days in space. Kimbrough earned a Master of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is currently assigned as Commander of the NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the ISS.

Pilot Megan McArthur (NASA)

Megan McArthur became a NASA astronaut in 2000. She was a Mission Specialist aboard STS-125, the final space shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. McArthur has logged about 13 days in space. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of California, San Diego. McArthur is currently assigned as Pilot of the NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the ISS.

Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide (JAXA)

Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency was selected by the National Space Development Agency of Japan in February of 1999 as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates for the International Space Station. He has logged over 124 days as a flight engineer in space. On August 30, 2012, Hoshide became the third Japanese astronaut to walk in space. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Keio University and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Houston, Cullen College. Crew-2 will be his third trip to the ISS. He is currently assigned as Mission Specialist of the NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the ISS.

Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet (ESA)

Thomas Pesquet became an astronaut for the European Space Agency in September of 2009 after being selected a few months earlier. He was a flight engineer for Expeditions 50 and 51 where he logged 196 days in space. Crew-2 marks the first mission that a European will fly in the Crew Dragon to the ISS. This marks his second spaceflight. He is currently assigned as Mission Specialist of the NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the ISS.

Training for the NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission

NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet participate in an egress training exercise in Port Canaveral, Florida, on October 1, 2020, in preparation for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The exercise involved simulating an emergency situation after splashdown of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Using a mock-up of the Crew Dragon, the crew practiced exiting the capsule and jumping into the water.

Training for the NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission

Cockpit Simulator Proficiency Training Complete

On April 14, 2021, Crew-2 completed their final proficiency training in the SpaceX Crew Dragon cockpit simulator. Per Megan McArthur, they zapped it with their mission decal. The NASA and SpaceX mission is targeted for liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 23.