NASA Modifies Crew 9 for I.S.S.

Kennedy Space Center, FL. – Today, August 30, 2024, in preparation for the two Starliner astronauts (Suni Williams & Butch Wilmore) returning to Earth from the International Space Station (I.S.S.), NASA today announced crew modifications to the NASA / SpaceX Crew 9 mission slated to launch no earlier than September 24, 2024 from the Kennedy Space Center and Launch Complex 39-A.

Image Credit:  Michael Howard

Flying aboard the four person Crew Dragon Endurance will be Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorburove as a mission specialist while American astronaut Nick Hague will be the commander. The two remaining seats will be left vacant for Starliner astronauts Williams & Wilmore to occupy on the return trip to earth in February, 2025, eight months after launching from Launch Complex 41. The Boeing Starliner, Calypso, will undock from the I.S.S. and return to Earth unmanned no earlier than September 6, 2024 with a landing at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

In a statement from the NASA Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba: “While we’ve changed crew before for a variety of reasons, downsizing crew for this flight was another tough decision to adjust to given that the crew has trained as a crew of four,” said Acaba. “I have the utmost confidence in all our crew, who have been excellent throughout training for the mission. Zena and Stephanie will continue to assist their crewmates ahead of launch, and they exemplify what it means to be a professional astronaut.”

Image Credit:  Michael Howard

The two remaining astronauts of Crew 9 who were pulled, Zena Cardman & Stephanie Wilson, have been notified and will be reassigned at a later date. Cardman and Zena will continue to work closely with the Crew Nine astronauts as they head towards their launch date.  Story and Images By:  Michael Howard and Graham Smith - We Report Space