(Updated) SpaceX Crew-4 mission to space station deferred again

NASA and SpaceX's Crew-4 mission, the fourth crew rotation flight to the International Space Station (ISS), has been postponed yet again. The agency is now targeting no earlier than 5:26 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 23, for the launch of its next crewed mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with backups on April 24, and April 25.

"The date adjustment provides mission teams time to complete final prelaunch processing for the Crew-4 mission following the April 8 launch of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) to the space station," the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

Launch Update ➡️ @NASA and @SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than 5:26am ET Saturday, April 23, for the #Crew4 mission to the @Space_Station.Learn more: https://t.co/SbJQkN3wZ0 pic.twitter.com/3rlUHF35F1

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) April 12, 2022

As part of the mission, SpaceX's new Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom will carry NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, mission commander, Robert Hines, pilot, and Jessica Watkins, mission specialist and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to the space station. The new SpaceX Crew Dragon will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

Last week, the crew entered their official quarantine period. The process helps ensure that the astronauts are healthy and also protects the astronauts already on the space station.

NASA will conduct the flight readiness review for the Crew-4 mission on April 15, which will focus on the preparedness of SpaceX's crew transportation system, ISS, and its international partners to support the flight, as well as the certification of flight readiness.

Update 1

The Flight Readiness Review for NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 mission has concluded, and teams are proceeding toward a liftoff on Saturday, April 23, from Launch Complex 39A.

Update 2

The SpaceX Crew-4 Dragon spacecraft arrived at Launch Complex 39A on April 16, after making the journey from the company's processing facility at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.