{"id":10009,"date":"2024-09-24T00:41:40","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T16:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/two-member-spacex-crew-9-prepares-for-late-week-dragon-launch\/"},"modified":"2024-09-24T00:41:40","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T16:41:40","slug":"two-member-spacex-crew-9-prepares-for-late-week-dragon-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/two-member-spacex-crew-9-prepares-for-late-week-dragon-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-member SpaceX Crew-9 prepares for late week Dragon launch"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Representatives from NASA participate in a media event at the agency\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 21, upon the arrival of NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, in advance of NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station as part of the agency\u2019s Commercial Crew Program. Image: NASA\/Kim Shiflett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Update Sept. 24, 4:04 p.m.: NASA pushed back the launch date due to the potential impacts of future Hurricane Helene.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Update Sept. 23, 2:54 p.m.: NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center shifted its status to HURCON 4, due to Potential Tropical Cyclone 9.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A crew scaled-back in the wake of this summer\u2019s troubled Boeing Starliner test flight, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center this weekend to begin final preparations for their launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon on a six-month mission to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov are set to launch to the orbiting outpost no earlier than Saturday, Sept. 28, at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 UTC). The mission will mark the first crewed flight from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.<\/p>\n

On Monday, NASA, SpaceX and leadership with Space Launch Delta 45 were set to conduct a flight readiness review as they progress towards the planned launch date.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur NASA and SpaceX teams have been working hand-in-hand with our Space Force mission partners and together, we\u2019re looking forward to a successful launch,\u201d said Kelvin Manning, the deputy director of NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center.<\/p>\n

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Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov and NASA astronaut Nick Hague discuss their upcoming mission with members of the press at Space Florida\u2019s Launch and Landing Facility within NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. Image: Adam Bernstein\/Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the departure of the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test spacecraft was delayed to allow for more testing of the thruster systems, NASA and SpaceX made the decision to move the launch of Crew-9 from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) to SLC-40. That allowed them to preserve the time needed to prepare for the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch of NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper mission, which can only lift off from LC-39A.<\/p>\n

Dana Hutcherson, the deputy program manager for NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program, emphasized the importance of having another launchpad available that\u2019s certified for crewed missions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m extremely proud of this joint Commercial Crew Program and SpaceX team for all the hard work it took to get the pad certified in time,\u201d Hutcherson said. \u201cThis is a huge increase in capability for us with now two pads now rated for human spaceflight. We now have operational flexibility to deconflict launches at both 39A and SLC-40.\u201d<\/p>\n

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SpaceX\u2019s Dragon spacecraft for NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 mission arrives at SpaceX\u2019s hangar at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, after a short journey from a nearby processing facility. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX\u2019s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 2:05 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Crew-9 is the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the space station as part of the agency\u2019s Commercial Crew Program. Image: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for their mission, named \u201cFreedom,\u201d was rolled out to a hangar at SLC-40 on Friday, Sept. 20.<\/p>\n

Part of the change also means that Hague and Gorbunov will have to adjust to the differences between LC-39A and SLC-40.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaunching from SLC-40 is something new. It\u2019s new and exciting. In the final preparations leading up to launch, one of the things we\u2019re going to have to do is go out and do some familiarization with the emergency egress equipment on SLC-40,\u201d Hague said. \u201cPreviously in July, we were out and we were able to do that for pad 39A. The mission changed, we changed pads and so, now we\u2019re working off SLC-40.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019ll be a couple of hours over the next couple of days, going out and making sure that we know how to use the systems that are in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov and NASA astronaut Nick Hague discuss their upcoming mission with members of the press at Space Florida\u2019s Launch and Landing Facility within NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. Image: Adam Bernstein\/Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crew shuffle<\/h4>\n

The upcoming launch of Hague and Gorbunov will mark the first operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft with just two souls on board. The decision was made after NASA decided to return the Starliner spacecraft in early September without its original crew onboard.<\/p>\n

NASA astronauts Barry \u201cButch\u201d Wilmore and Sunita \u201cSuni\u201d Williams will return as members of Crew-9 when the spacecraft undocks from the ISS in February 2025.<\/p>\n

During his remarks upon arrival in Florida, Hague expressed his appreciation to his now former mission crewmates, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, for their continued effort to get the mission ready to fly without them onboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur crewmates, Zena and Stephanie, have been integral to that effort over the past several weeks, making sure that we\u2019re ready to launch together, a testament to their professionalism\u201d Hague said.<\/p>\n

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NASA astronaut Nick Hague signs his name inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, ahead of NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Image: NASA\/Kim Shiflett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The mission patch for Crew-9, which used to bear the names of all four of the original crew members, is now nameless ahead of the flight. Hague said the bareness of the patch is emblematic of how the mission has evolved over time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis mission is bigger than any one crew. It\u2019s bigger than any one person and so, we\u2019ve got a dynamic challenge ahead of us and in the response to, how do we adjust and how do we adapt to do the mission that we\u2019ve got to do, I\u2019ve never felt closer to my crewmates,\u201d Hague said. \u201cThat bond that you build \u2013 that we\u2019ve built over the better part of a year-and-a-half with Zena and Stephanie was as strong as ever as they\u2019re working side-by-side with us, helping get us ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hague also noted that astronaut training extends far beyond just the crew that\u2019s assembled for their chosen mission, referencing his past experiences with Wilmore and Williams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had opportunities to work with Butch and Suni. I\u2019ve had opportunities to train as part of NOLS [National Outdoor Leadership School] and share a tent with Suni for ten days in the wilderness,\u201d Hague said. \u201cWe know each other. We\u2019re professionals. And we step up and do what\u2019s asked of us. So, I\u2019m looking forward to working with them and I think we\u2019re going to pull together without a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The original crew of NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station poses for a group photo at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Image: SpaceX.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The shuffling of crew assignments also meant some planned scenarios onboard the ISS have also moved in to the \u2018what if\u2019 column. Had Starliner returned with its two-member flight crew as planned and Crew-9 launched with all four of its members, Wilson was on tap to become the commander of the ISS.<\/p>\n

That distinction would\u2019ve made her the first Black astronaut to serve as commander of the space station in its more than 24-year history. With history turning out the way it did, Williams took the role during a change of command ceremony on Sunday.<\/p>\n

This is the second time Williams has served as station commander after previously holding the position during Expedition 33 in 2012. This time around, she received the ceremonial key from Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko as he prepared to finish his record 1,111 days in space.<\/p>\n

\u201cExpedition 71 has taught all of us a lot about flexibility,\u201d Williams said in reference to the impact of the Starliner Crew Flight Test on station operations. \u201cYou adopted Butch and I even though that was not quite the plan. But here we are as part of the family. \u2026 We appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n