Crew-9 astronauts aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule chosen by NASA to bring astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth after their Starliner spacecraft was deemed too risky for crew have arrived at the space station. The vehicle, on a mission called Crew-9, docked at the ISS at about 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
The crew-9 astronauts tasked with bringing Wilmore and Williams home include NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Williams and Wilmore have spent months at the International Space Station, but now they are within reach of the spacecraft that will eventually bring them home.
The Crew-9 Astronauts Arrived Safely, but There Was a Slight Hitch
Reports claim the capsule’s hatch opened at about 7:04 p.m. ET, giving Hague and Gorbunov access to the space station. Following the Crew 9 astronauts’ arrival, there was a welcome ceremony with Williams, Wilmore, and the other seven crew members on board the orbiting laboratory.
Hague and Gorbunov launched aboard the Crew Dragon Saturday afternoon from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. They reached their intended orbit without issues, but SpaceX later revealed that the second stage, or upper portion, of the Falcon 9 rocket responsible for the first half of their journey experienced an issue after it broke away from the capsule.
ALSO READ: Rock Climber From Wisconsin Dies in Devils Tower Fall
“After today’s successful launch of Crew-9, Falcon 9’s second stage was disposed in the ocean as planned, but experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn,” the company wrote on X. “As a result, the second stage safely landed in the ocean, but outside of the targeted area.”
In response to the issue, SpaceX has shared plans to pause flights using Falcon 9 while it looked into the anomaly. The Federal Aviation Administration also told CNN it was investigating the issue.
The Crew-9 Astronauts, Together With Williams and Wilmore, Will Return to Earth Next Year
Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov will complete SpaceX’s Crew-9 team. The group is expected to spend about five months on board the space station before returning home around February.
Williams and Wilmore have been aboard the International Space Station since early June. They traveled aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft and were expected to be away for a weeklong test mission.
Unfortunately, issues with helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters left engineers bamboozled as they tried to determine what went wrong. Ultimately, NASA decided that the Starliner’s problems were not well understood enough for Williams and Wilmore to be allowed back on board. The empty vessel was instead flown home empty on September 6.
To accommodate the sudden change in plans, NASA rearranged SpaceX’s flight plans, kicking two other astronauts—spaceflight veteran Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman, who was supposed to make her first trip to space—off the Crew-9 mission to make room for the Starliner team.
However, Williams and Wilmore must now fulfill the duties of the original Crew-9 staff, meaning they will remain in space doing months’ worth of routine work on the space station before their return trip.
Officials claim spacecraft availability and ISS requirements influenced the decision to keep Williams and Wilmore in space for a full crew rotation rather than bringing them back to Earth sooner.
NASA’s Next Mission to the Space Station Will Involve a New Capsule.
According to Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, NASA’s next mission to the space station will require them to have another vehicle ready.
“We could schedule it a little shorter, but we’d have to have another vehicle ready. So when we worked with SpaceX, that next vehicle for Crew-10 that’s going to be in the February time frame, that’s a brand-new Dragon we’re trying to get ready,” Stich said. “We’d like to fly that Dragon and space out the flights across the Dragons.”
It is the biggest reason they decided to keep Williams and Wilmore in space a little longer. Fortunately, both of them are veterans of earlier missions to the space station and have said they easily adjusted to staying in space until next year, with Williams noting that the microgravity environment is her “happy place.”
How Long Will Crew-9 Astronauts Be in Space?
Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov now make up SpaceX’s Crew-9 team. The group is expected to spend about five months on board the space station before returning home by February.
Also, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on Sunday at about 5:30 p.m. ET.
ALSO READ: Whooping Cough Vaccine Gets New Testing Method
What Was the Goal of Starship SpaceX?
The SpaceX starship’s primary goal is transporting crew and cargo to various destinations, including Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. The craft is intended to enable long-duration interplanetary flights and can carry a crew of up to 100 people.
Is NASA Military?
NASA is not a military outfit. It is a civilian agency that is part of the US government’s executive branch but often cooperates with military agencies. NASA’s primary goal is to focus on civilian space research, exploration, and aeronautics research.
You Might Also Like:
Everything We Know About Sai De Silva’s Husband
Lisa Marie Presley Was Always Worried About Her Father Dying
All We Know About Naomi Campbell’s Charity Ban
All We Know About Kris Kristofferson’s Wife, Lisa Meyers
Jenny Mollen Shares Her Diddy Experience: “Would I Have Been in a Freak Off?”
