AIAA Statement on the NASA SpaceX Crew-7 Launch Written 26 August 2023
On Saturday, August 26 at 3:27 a.m. ET, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Dragon’s seventh operational human spaceflight mission (Crew-7) to the ISS from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. | Credit: SpaceX; YouTube; frame grab
August 26, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:
“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate the entire NASA SpaceX team on its successful Crew-7 launch. We applaud this mission to the International Space Station (ISS) through NASA’s Commercial Crew program, showing how NASA and private industry are working together to extend the human neighborhood into low Earth orbit and beyond.
This mission also demonstrates the value of international partnership in space exploration, delivering the four-member international crew to the ISS. The scientific research they will conduct onboard the ISS will help prepare us for human exploration to the moon and cislunar space, and on to Mars. The addition of Crew-7 continues maximizing the use of the ISS, where astronauts have been living and working continuously in space for more than 22 years. We are encouraged to see these explorers and innovators work to improve life on Earth and accelerate our off-world future.
We recognize the aerospace industry professionals involved in making this mission a success. We salute NASA, SpaceX, and Crew-7 for helping shape the future of aerospace.”
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.