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This week, SpaceX is set to launch NASA’s Crew-9 mission, which has been transformed into a rescue mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will see NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov flying to the ISS on Thursday, September 26. Originally, the mission was supposed to include Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson as mission specialists. However, Wilson and Cardman were replaced by NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who are already on the station and need a ride back to Earth.
So, how did NASA find itself in this situation? It all began on June 5 when Boeing’s Starliner capsule encountered issues during the Crew Flight Test (CFT), the first astronaut mission for the spacecraft. Helium leaks were discovered in the propulsion system, and five of the 28 reaction-control thrusters failed. Following the incident, NASA conducted thorough testing of the Starliner’s systems at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to identify and rectify the problems. Additionally, Wilmore and Williams carried out thruster tests on the Starliner while docked at the ISS to gather crucial data for the ground teams to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness for the astronauts’ return journey.
During a briefing on August 14, Ken Bowersox, the assistant administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, expressed concerns about the successful operation of the spacecraft’s propulsion system during the deorbit burn. Subsequently, it was decided that the spacecraft would return without its crew, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded aboard the ISS until Crew-9 could retrieve them. This situation was compounded by the fact that Starliner had experienced failures during its first uncrewed test flight, as software glitches prevented it from reaching the ISS in December 2019. A second uncrewed orbital flight test in May 2022 managed to reach the station, albeit eight months behind schedule.
NASA officials have voiced confidence that Williams and Wilmore would have been safe had they returned in the Starliner after completing the CFT in September 2024. However, a commitment to safety, particularly in light of past tragedies such as the Challenger and Columbia disasters, led NASA to prioritize the astronauts’ well-being by keeping them aboard the ISS until a safer means of return could be arranged.
The circumstances surrounding Crew-9 echo a similar incident from last year involving NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who was marooned on the ISS following a coolant leak on his Russian Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft during Expedition 68. Rubio ultimately set a U.S. record with 371 days spent in orbit before returning home on a new Soyuz spacecraft.
In addition to its mission as a rescue operation, Crew-9 holds historical significance as the first crewed launch from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This will also mark the second overall crewed launch from the site, following Starliner’s CFT flight in June. Notably, Nick Hague will become the first active U.S. Space Force Guardian to launch into space since the establishment of the branch in 2019.
As the launch of Crew-9 approaches, NASA remains focused on ensuring the safety and success of the mission. With a team of experienced astronauts and cosmonauts prepared to bring their colleagues back to Earth, the agency continues to demonstrate its commitment to the well-being of those aboard the ISS.
