--- title: "SpaceX’s Latest Spacecraft Officially Has a Name" description: "Now, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule sending the fourth operational crew to the International Space Station has a name as well." date: "2022-03-23" modified: "2022-03-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-latest-spacecraft-name" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "crew dragon" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX’s Latest Spacecraft Officially Has a Name ![Now, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule sending the fourth operational crew to the International Space Station has a name as well.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Freedom First, there was [Endeavor](). Then there was [Resilience]() and [Endurance](). Now, the fourth SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, sending the fourth operational crew to the International Space Station, has a name as well. "FREEDOM!!" NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, commander of the upcoming mission dubbed Crew-4, [tweeted]() enthusiastically. "Crew-4 will fly to the International Space Station in a new Dragon capsule named 'Freedom.'" Crew-4 is scheduled for liftoff next month, when it's scheduled to transport Lindgren, two fellow NASA astronauts, and a European Space Agency colleague to the ISS. According to Lindgren, "the name celebrates a fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that emanate from the unencumbered human spirit." As the astronaut points out, the name is an homage to the Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket, otherwise known as Freedom 7, that took the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard, into outer space back in 1961. ## Independence Day Beyond the historical reference, however, the name "Freedom" could also have a much greater meaning, given the current geopolitical crisis brewing in Ukraine. Russia's invasion of the country has led to the international space community distancing itself and [canceling launches]() involving Russian rockets. For many years after the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle back in 2011, the US has had to rely on Russian-made Soyuz rockets to deliver astronauts to the ISS. But SpaceX's Crew Dragon [has turned things around]() considerably for the agency. "Through the Commercial Crew Program, NASA and SpaceX have restored a national capability and we honor the ingenuity and hard work of those involved," Lindgren tweeted. In other words, the new name may well celebrate SpaceX's great success in giving the US back its ability to send astronauts to the aging orbital outpost. And that's as American as, well, [Freedom Fries](). **More on Crew Dragon:** *[French ISS Astronaut Says Everything Is Totally Fine Up There]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()