NASA drops 2 from SpaceX crew making space for stranded astronauts

Washington: NASA has announced that astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will be launching on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) not earlier than September 24 this year. The duo will return with stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore in February. NASA decided that it is too risky for Williams and Wilmore to fly home in their Boeing Starliner capsule, marred by thruster troubles and helium leaks.

This update comes after changes to mission's crew composition. Originally, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were also part of the Crew-9 team, but they are now eligible for reassignment to future missions.

The upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission will now be flown with a two-person crew aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Nick Hague will serve as the mission commander, while Aleksandr Gorbunov will take on the role of mission specialist.

This adjustment follows NASA's decision to return the agency's Boeing Crew Flight Test uncrewed, resulting in two vacant seats on Crew-9. NASA's decision was made by Joe Acaba, Chief Astronaut at NASA's Johnson Space Center, who needed to ensure a balanced crew with essential experience and integration for the mission.Joe Acaba explained that the decision to reduce the crew size was challenging. The crew had trained as a team of four, and adjusting to a smaller crew presented its own set of difficulties. Despite this, Acaba expressed confidence in the crew’s capabilities, noting that Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson would continue to support their colleagues in preparation for the mission. Both Cardman and Wilson remain committed to the mission’s success and look forward to participating in future spaceflights.

Nick Hague is set to undertake his third spaceflight. His previous missions include a challenging launch in October 2018, which involved an emergency landing following a rocket failure, and a subsequent successful mission in March 2019. During his time on the ISS, Hague conducted three spacewalks focused on upgrading the space station’s power systems and installing a docking adapter for commercial spacecraft. Hague, an active-duty Colonel in the U.S. Space Force, will be returning to NASA after contributing to the Boeing Starliner Programme.

Aleksandr Gorbunov will be embarking on his first space mission. Gorbunov, a native of Zheleznogorsk, Russia, has a background in spacecraft engineering and aircraft maintenance from his studies at the Moscow Aviation Institute and his work with Rocket Space Corp. Energia.

His experience includes supporting cargo spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018.

Once in space, Hague and Gorbunov will join Expedition 72 aboard the ISS. They will work alongside Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. Their mission will focus on scientific research and maintenance as the ISS continues its 24-year history of continuous human habitation.