SpaceX’s Crew-9 Mission Prepares for Unplanned ISS Rescue Amid Starliner Setbacks

This week, NASA is preparing for a mission with a twist—a kind of rescue to the International Space Station (ISS). On Thursday, Sept. 26, astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov will be launched into space aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9. But the mission, as it stands now, is not the one originally planned. Instead of the full crew NASA had initially announced, two astronauts who should have been on board—Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson—won’t be making the journey. Their spots are being used to bring home two astronauts who’ve been stranded on the ISS: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

NASA CREW-9 PHOTO SCRAMBLE: NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov greet the media at @NASAKennedy before Thursday’s launch 🚀 pic.twitter.com/SPMhX6A4yw

— Rick Neale (@RickNeale1) September 21, 2024

Wilmore and Williams had set out on a brief mission in June, a ten-day stay aboard the ISS. But their planned return on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft never came to pass. Starliner hit trouble soon after it docked at the station. Issues with thrusters and a few unsettling helium leaks left NASA no choice but to leave the craft empty and bring it home without its crew. And so, Wilmore and Williams, meant to be in space for just over a week, have been orbiting the Earth for nearly eight months now, waiting for a safe ride back.

Starliner, Boeing’s spacecraft, has had a rocky history trying to prove itself reliable. Its first uncrewed flight back in 2019 never made it to the space station, halted by software problems. A second test in 2022 went better, but the recent crewed flight encountered issues once more. Though NASA insists the astronauts would have made it home safely, the agency chose caution over risk—a lesson long learned from tragedies like the Challenger and Columbia disasters. NASA’s culture now leans toward safety above all else, and that’s why Wilmore and Williams are awaiting the arrival of Crew-9.

SPACEX CREW-9 DUO ARRIVES AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AHEAD OF LAUNCH

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have arrived in Florida for their upcoming mission to the ISS.

The pair will be the first 2-person crew to launch aboard Dragon since the Demo-2… pic.twitter.com/4emcLLbcAI

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 21, 2024

This upcoming mission marks more than just a rescue effort. It will be the first time humans launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral’s Space Force Station. For Nick Hague, it’s also a personal milestone—he’ll be the first U.S. Space Force Guardian to head into space since the force was established.

The NASA/SpaceX Crew-9 launch is quickly approaching, with liftoff currently set for Thursday afternoon from SLC-40. Nick and Alexander will go up as a pair and return to Earth in March 2025 with Suni and Butch.

📸 me for @considercosmos pic.twitter.com/a94ukh7fkI

— John Pisani (@johnpisaniphoto) September 21, 2024

NASA’s faced these unexpected delays before. Only last year, astronaut Frank Rubio found himself stuck on the ISS for 371 days after a coolant leak took out his spacecraft, setting a record for the longest continuous spaceflight by an American. Now, NASA aims to bring Wilmore and Williams home without stretching their time in space any further.

Major Points

• NASA’s upcoming Crew-9 mission on September 26 will launch two astronauts, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, to the ISS for a rescue mission.
• Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, originally set for a brief 10-day stay on the ISS, have been stranded for nearly eight months due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
• Starliner encountered thruster problems and helium leaks, leading NASA to delay its crewed return, prioritizing safety over risk.
• Crew-9 will launch from Space Launch Complex-40, marking the first human mission from this site, with Hague becoming the first U.S. Space Force Guardian to go to space.
• This mission follows other delayed returns, including astronaut Frank Rubio’s record-breaking 371-day stay after a coolant leak disrupted his spacecraft.

James Kravitz – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News