The countdown is on for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which will launch on September 26 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This mission, carrying two astronauts instead of the initially planned four, has the crucial task of bringing back NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) longer than anticipated due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
Crew Arrival and Launch Preparations
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived at Kennedy Space Center on September 21 after completing pre-flight quarantine in Houston. They will serve as commander and mission specialist, respectively, for the Crew-9 mission. Launch opportunities are available on September 26 (11:35 PM IST), September 27, and September 28.
Two-Person Crew and Role Adjustments
The Crew-9 mission will be unique in that it will not have a dedicated pilot. Hague, initially assigned as the pilot, will now serve as commander, sharing piloting responsibilities with Gorbunov.
"The focus of effort over the last three weeks is what do we need to do differently to be able to launch as a crew of two, as a crew without a pilot," said Hague. "Now, we have to do the pilot and the commander role as a single person. Ultimately the commander has the responsibility to make sure that the crew is safe and make decisions about that."
Starliner Setback and Crew Rotation
The Crew-9 mission was originally scheduled to launch with four astronauts. However, technical difficulties with the Starliner spacecraft, which experienced helium leaks and thruster issues during its first crewed mission in June, forced NASA to alter its plans.
The Starliner returned to Earth uncrewed, leaving Williams and Wilmore on the ISS longer than expected. NASA decided to reduce the Crew-9 crew to two and utilise the remaining seats on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to bring Williams and Wilmore home in February 2025.
Training and Preparation for Return
Hague and Gorbunov have been working with Williams and Wilmore to familiarise them with the Dragon spacecraft and prepare them for their return journey. "They’ve got opportunity right now to be familiar with, and they need to be familiar with because Crew-8’s Dragon is their rescue vehicle right now," Hague explained. "And so they need to know...just general features about how to live and be in Dragon because it could take a day or two to get back down once you undock from the station."
Crew-9 Mission Highlights
First human spaceflight mission to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Approximately five-month stay on the ISS, conducting over 200 science experiments.
Hague's third launch and second mission to the space station.