Science & Technology
BY ELEGANT NEWZ
JULY 7,2024
NASA gears up for Crew-9 launch as Sunita Williams remains stranded in space due to a faulty Boeing Starliner.
NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station, with a launch planned for August 18 or later. This marks the ninth crew rotation under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. 4o mini
The Crew-9 mission will send NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Nick Hague, Stephanie Wilson, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Astronauts Williams and Wilmore remain aboard the ISS due to technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The capsule has had thruster failures and helium leaks.
Engineers are rigorously testing and analyzing the Starliner spacecraft to fix its issues. NASA’s commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, has stated that a return date for Williams and Wilmore is still undetermined.
NASA is exploring alternative plans for bringing Williams and Wilmore back, including the possibility of using a SpaceX Dragon capsule if Starliner issues aren't resolved in time.
There's a bit of a logistical challenge for the 186. Program manager Dana Weigel says the Starliner has to be un-docked first to free up a docking port for the incoming Crew-9 mission.
The upcoming Crew-9 launch comes on the heels of the Federal Aviation Administration's recent approval for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to resume flights, following a mid-flight failure earlier this month.
The Crew-9 mission, which is the ninth crew rotation flight under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, is set to launch no earlier than August 18, 20244o mini