This week, NASA’s Crew-9 mission, set to launch on Thursday, September 26, is taking on an unexpected role as a rescue mission to bring stranded astronauts back to Earth. Originally intended to send four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), the mission now has a different objective due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will be aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, while NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, initially scheduled for the mission, were replaced by Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The two astronauts have been stranded on the ISS since June after their planned return on the Boeing Starliner became impossible due to multiple malfunctions.
The Crew-9 mission, launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, will now serve as Wilmore and Williams’ return flight, bringing them home after an extended stay. They were originally only supposed to spend about 10 days on the ISS but will now have been there for roughly eight months by the time they return in February 2025.
The issues with the Starliner spacecraft began shortly after its Crew Flight Test (CFT) launch in June, Boeing’s first astronaut mission on the Starliner. The spacecraft encountered multiple malfunctions, including failures in five of its 28 reaction-control thrusters and helium leaks in its propulsion system. After extensive tests and diagnostic efforts, NASA made the decision to bring the spacecraft back to Earth without its crew due to concerns about the spacecraft’s safety during reentry.
Although Boeing assured NASA that the Starliner could have safely returned the astronauts, NASA prioritized safety, citing lessons learned from past disasters such as the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the agency’s commitment to astronaut safety, saying, “We don’t want to put astronauts at risk more than is necessary.”
NASA has faced a similar situation before. In 2022, astronaut Frank Rubio was stranded aboard the ISS for 371 days due to a coolant leak in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Rubio’s extended stay set a record for the longest continuous time spent in space by an American astronaut. Like Rubio, Wilmore and Williams will now endure a longer-than-expected mission due to unexpected spacecraft complications.
Aside from its rescue objective, the Crew-9 mission will make history in its own right. It will be the first manned launch from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station since the U.S. Space Force was established in 2019. Nick Hague, who will command the mission, will also become the first active Space Force Guardian to launch into space.
As NASA’s commercial partnerships evolve, the Crew-9 mission stands as a testament to the collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, and Boeing. Despite setbacks, the space agency remains focused on ensuring astronaut safety while pushing forward with its mission objectives.
