SpaceX, NASA launches Crew-9 with two people
SpaceX and NASA have launched Crew-9 for its six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, originally set to launch with four people, launched with only two. The empty seats will be used by Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams is to return home in February 2025. The launch took place at the instant window of 1:17 PM EDT (17:17 UTC) on Sept. 28, where for the first time, a crew mission departed from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida.
The original intended crew comprised Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson, and Aleksandr Gorbunov of Roscosmos. However, problems with the Boeing Starliner vehicle changed the original manifest, leaving Hague as the commander with Gorbunov remaining as a mission specialist.
Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, which flew Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams to the ISS on June 5, encountered numerous problems both before launch as well as once it was in orbit. While it docked successfully, there were concerns with the vehicle’s thrusters and its ability to safely return the two astronauts to Earth.
