NASA SpaceX Crew 9 Mission Proceeding Amid Starliner Delays

NASA is proceeding to work towards a August 18th launch of the Crew-9 mission aboard the Crew Dragon to the ISS, even while the Boeing Starliner CFT mission keeps getting extended.

Crew-9 Preparations

The Crew 9 is composed of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Nick Hague, and Stephanie Wilson, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexsandr Gorbunov.

"I’m extremely confident in the team and the approach they’ve taken. I’m excited to strap onto the rocket when the team decides it’s time to go." - Nick Hague, NASA Astronaut

Launch Pad Availability

The launch window for Crew-9 extends to early September to accommodate the preparation for the Falcon Heavy launch of the Europa Clipper mission, which has a narrow launch window opening on October 10.

One challenge has been scheduling conflicts at Launch Complex 39A, prompting SpaceX to develop a crew and cargo access tower at nearby Space Launch Complex 40. However, the new pad will not be certified for crewed missions in time for Crew-9.

"We’re not quite complete on certification. If we were, we would entertain moving over to Pad 40,"- Steve Stich, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager

SpaceX believe they could have certified SLC-40 in time but that it was unnecessary, and are currently estimating certification completion by late September.

"We have several weeks of runway on 39A," - Sarah Walker, SpaceX's Director of Dragon Mission Management

Falcon 9 Anomaly and Investigation

The launch date for Crew-9 was uncertain due to an upper stage anomaly on a Falcon 9 Starlink launch, which grounded the rocket for 15 days. The issue involved a crack in a sensor line that allowed liquid oxygen to leak. However, following a successful return to flight on July 27, NASA commended SpaceX for their transparency and the planned modifications to prevent future occurrences.

The Crew-9 launch depends on the successful test-firing of the modified upper stage around July 30. The test aims to validate the changes made in response to the anomaly.

"We’re going to go through a rigorous certification of that" - Steve Stich, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager

Impact on Other Missions

The Falcon 9 incident also influenced the schedule for the Polaris Dawn mission, a private astronaut venture funded by Jared Isaacman, which includes the first private spacewalk. Initially set for late July, the launch has been rescheduled to late summer.

"We are in final preparations for Polaris Dawn," - Sarah Walker, SpaceX's Director of Dragon Mission Management

Starliner -1 Delayed, Crew 10 Up Next

The first operational launch of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, known as Starliner-1, has been postponed. Initially slated for February 2025, the mission is now rescheduled for August 2025 to allow for comprehensive data review and necessary adjustments following the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. NASA has also confirmed that the mission timeline accommodates potential further delays by being "double booked" with Crew-11 incase Starliner-1 isn't ready.

NASA continues to advance its crewed spaceflight program, balancing the schedules and technical challenges of both Crew Dragon and Starliner. As preparations for the Crew-9 mission proceed, NASA and SpaceX are committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and reliability for their astronauts.