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SpaceX Crew-9

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SpaceX Crew-9 is the ninth operational NASA Commercial Crew Program flight and the 15th crewed orbital flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Originally scheduled to launch a crew of four to the International Space Station (ISS) in mid-August 2024, the mission was delayed by more than a month due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner Calypso spacecraft that was docked at the ISS for the Boeing Crew Flight Test. NASA ultimately decided to send the Starliner back to Earth uncrewed, launch Crew-9 with two crew members, and return with four crew members, including the two crew members of the Boeing Crew Flight Test. After that delay and other delays largely due to weather, Crew-9 launched on 28 September at 17:17:21 UTC (1:17:21 pm EDT, local time at the launch site).

SpaceX Crew-9
Crew Dragon Freedom, attached to the ISS, as it passes over Colorado
NamesUSCV-9
Mission typeISS crew transport
OperatorSpaceX
COSPAR ID2024-178A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.61447Edit this on Wikidata
Mission duration84 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon Freedom
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Crew
Crew size2 up, 4 down
Members
Landing
ExpeditionExpedition 72 / 73
Start of mission
Launch date28 September 2024, 17:17:21 (28 September 2024, 17:17:21) UTC (1:17:21 pm EDT)
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (B1085.2), Flight 378
Launch siteCape Canaveral, SLC‑40
End of mission
Landing dateMarch 2025 (planned)[1]
Landing sitePacific Ocean (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony forward
Docking date29 September 2024, 21:30 UTC
Undocking date3 November 2024, 11:35 UTC
Time docked34 days, 14 hours, 5 minutes
Docking with ISS (relocation)
Docking portHarmony zenith
Docking date3 November 2024, 12:25 UTC
Undocking dateMarch 2025 (planned)[1]
Time docked48 days, 6 hours, 56 minutes (in progress)

NASA (left) and SpaceX (right) mission patches
Launch and landing crew, from left: Gorbunov and Hague
Landing crew, from left: Williams and Wilmore

The Crew-9 mission marked several milestones. It was the first crewed mission to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40; astronaut Nick Hague was the first active U.S. Space Force Guardian to launch to space since the branch was established in 2019; and the mission is expected to be the first Crew Dragon to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Crew

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The mission was initially planned to transport four crew members—NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Nick Hague, and Stephanie Wilson, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—to the International Space Station (ISS). Cardman was assigned to be the commander and Hague the pilot, while Wilson and Gorbunov would serve as mission specialists.[2] However, due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner, NASA decided to return the Starliner uncrewed and launch Crew-9 with two open seats to return the Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts to Earth.[3]

On 24 August, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, along with a panel of agency officials, announced that the Boeing Starliner would return uncrewed, with its astronauts returning on Crew-9. Later, on 30 August, NASA announced that Hague and Gorbunov will fly on Crew-9 with Hague serving as commander. Gorbunov was required to fly as part of a NASA-Roscosmos crew interchange agreement.[4] Prior to the official announcement, Ars Technica reported that there was disagreement within NASA over who should fill the commander's seat in those six days. According to the reporting, NASA Chief Astronaut, Joe Acaba had initially selected Cardman to continue as commander, which had been met with some concerns in the astronaut office, stemming from NASA's history of never launching a mission without a test pilot or experienced astronaut in command. Both Cardman and Gorbunov are rookie astronauts who have never served as a test pilot. Hague, on the other hand, has prior spaceflight experience and is one of the few individuals who have survived a launch abort with Soyuz MS-10.[5]

Following the crew changes, SpaceX, NASA, Cardman, Hague, Wilson, and Gorbunov collaborated for three weeks to identify how Hague could assume many of the tasks typically divided between the commander and pilot, and determine which tasks could be assigned to Gorbunov, who would sit in the pilot's seat during launch. While Gorbunov is a qualified engineer and holds the rank of test cosmonaut (making him eligible to be a Soyuz commander), he had only previously received basic training on the Dragon in his role as a mission specialist.[6] Although only serving in a limited capacity, Gorbunov will be the first Russian cosmonaut to be at the controls of an American spacecraft.

Position Launching crew Landing crew
Commander   Nick Hague, NASA
Expedition 72/73
Second[a] spaceflight
Mission Specialist   Aleksandr Gorbunov, Roscosmos
Expedition 72/73
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist None   Barry E. Wilmore, NASA
Expedition 71/72/73
Third spaceflight
Launched on Boeing Crew Flight Test
Mission Specialist None   Sunita Williams, NASA
Expedition 71/72/73
Third spaceflight
Launched on Boeing Crew Flight Test

Original crew

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Original crew, from left: Wilson, Gorbunov, Hague, and Cardman, inset depicts the original mission patch
Position[2] Crew
Commander   Zena Cardman, NASA
Expedition 71/72
Would have been first spaceflight
Pilot   Nick Hague, NASA
Expedition 71/72
Second[a] spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1   Stephanie Wilson, NASA
Expedition 71/72
Would have been fourth spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2   Aleksandr Gorbunov, Roscosmos
Expedition 71/72
First spaceflight

Mission

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SpaceX Crew-9 is the ninth operational NASA Commercial Crew Program flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and the 15th crewed orbital mission for a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The flight was originally planned to deliver four crew members to the ISS for Expedition 72, a six-month science mission: NASA astronauts Zena Cardman (commander), Nick Hague (pilot), and Stephanie Wilson (mission specialist), along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov (mission specialist).[2] However, NASA decided to return the two astronauts of the Starliner crewed flight test, using Crew-9. Therefore, Crew-9 launched with a crew of two instead.[7] Hague will serve as commander, flying alongside Gorbunov.

The Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom, is a veteran of the SpaceX Crew-4 and Axiom Space's Ax-2 and Ax-3 missions.[8] The Falcon 9 first-stage booster, designated B1085, will be making its second flight.

Originally scheduled for 18 August 2024, the launch was rescheduled to 24 September after NASA decided to return the Boeing Starliner Calypso spacecraft of the Boeing Crew Flight Test without its crew. This delay provided NASA additional time to assess the Starliner's condition, develop a safe return plan for its crew, and reconfigure the Starliner's software for an uncrewed return.[9][10] ISS has only two IDSS ports, and one was occupied by Crew-8 while the other was occupied by Starliner. Therefore, Crew-9 did not launch until after Starliner undocked. Until Crew-9 arrived, they arranged to use SpaceX Crew-8 as their temporary emergency evacuation spacecraft, after which they transferred to Crew-9.[11]

Crew-9 was slated to use Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, which had supported all previous SpaceX's crewed missions and is also the only pad that can support Falcon Heavy launches. When Crew-9's launch was rescheduled to 24 September, it was brought close to the launch NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which needed to launch from LC-39A on a Falcon Heavy during a 21-day window in early October. To avoid scheduling conflicts and ensure ample preparation time for both missions, SpaceX shifted the Crew-9 launch to Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.[12] This was the first crewed mission to lift off from SLC-40. SpaceX had been constructing a crew access tower at this location since 2023 to facilitate such operations.[13]

Hague, a U.S. Space Force colonel, is the first active member of the Space Force to launch into space since the branch was established in 2019. Because the launch moved to SLC-40, the mission also marks the first time a Space Force servicemember launched from a Space Force launch complex.[14]

Crew-9 relocated from Harmony forward to Harmony zenith on 3 November 2024, with all four of its crew aboard. This allowed CRS-31 to dock later dock to Harmony forward, from which it will be able to perform a test to reboost ISS. Relocations carry the full crew because the spacecraft is also the crew's "lifeboat".

The mission is scheduled to end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in March 2025, a first for a Crew Dragon mission. While SpaceX Dragon 1 missions had previously landed in the Pacific, SpaceX and NASA had shifted recovery operations to the East Coast in 2019. The move allowed astronauts and critical cargo to return to Kennedy Space Center more quickly after splashdown, and SpaceX opened a facility in Florida to take in capsules after flight and prepare them for the next mission. However, the move had an unforeseen consequence: the trunk module had to be jettisoned before reentry, and while the team expected it would burn up, SpaceX became aware of at least four cases of trunk debris being found on land. The shift back to Pacific Ocean splashdowns means that the trunk can stay attached longer and be directed towards a remote area of the ocean called Point Nemo (nicknamed the spacecraft cemetery), where any debris that survives reentry will be unlikely to cause damage.[15][16]

Launch

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Crew Dragon Freedom launches atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40.

Hague and Gorbunov arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, 21 September, to prepare for their mission. The crew was scheduled to quarantine at the Operations and Checkout Building, where they conducted a dry dress rehearsal, adjusted their sleep schedules, and rehearsed flight procedures. At the time, the launch date was set for Thursday, 26 September.[17]

On Tuesday, 24 September, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Freedom capsule were rolled out to SLC-40.[18] However, due to the approaching Hurricane Helene, NASA announced that the Crew-9 launch was delayed until Saturday, 28 September.

Following a successful static fire and final dress rehearsal on Tuesday, the SpaceX Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket were rolled back to the hangar on Wednesday, 25 September, as a precaution against potential weather impacts from Hurricane Helene, which was forecast to make landfall near the Florida panhandle on Thursday, 26 September.[19]

Crew-9 was able to lift off on the first attempt on 28 September at 17:17:21 UTC (1:17:21 pm EDT, local time at the launch site).[20] With a launch weather forecast that predicted a 45% chance of violating weather constraints and rain clouds that passed by as the crew boarded the rocket, NASA leaders later remarked that they had "threaded a needle" regarding the weather.[21] After lifting the Dragon and second-stage to an altitude of 70 kilometers (43 mi; 38 nmi) the rocket's first stage, Booster 1085 returned to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and touched down at Landing Zone 1, seven minutes and 36 seconds after launch, completing its second flight.[22] The second stage continued to lift the Dragon to an altitude of 200 kilometers (120 mi; 110 nmi) before separation.[23]

A few hours later, when the second stage was commanded to make a destructive reentry, it experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn, deviating from its planned trajectory. Although it landed safely in the ocean, the impact point was outside the designated target area. SpaceX typically commands its second stages to re-enter the atmosphere and land in the ocean to minimize orbital debris. The off-target landing increased the potential risk of harm, as aircraft and mariners were not instructed to avoid the area. In response, SpaceX announced a temporary grounding of the Falcon 9 rocket while investigating the root cause of the mishap.[24] On 30 September the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the Falcon 9.[25] An exception was made for the launch of ESA's Hera. The FAA cleared the Falcon 9 to resume flights on 11 October.[26]

Launch attempt summary

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Note: Times are local to the launch site (Eastern Daylight Time).

Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go (%) Notes
1 26 Sep 2024, 2:05:00 pm Scrubbed — Weather 24 Sep 2024, 2:00 pm Scrubbed due to the approach of Hurricane Helene; rocket rolled back to hangar.
2 28 Sep 2024, 1:17:21 pm Success 1 day 23 hours 12 minutes 55[27] Weather forecast later improved to 70%.
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  •  
    Hague and Gorbunov suited up in the Operations and Checkout Building before launch
  •  
    The strongback tilts the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon Freedom to a vertical position at SLC-40
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    Crew Dragon Freedom approaches the International Space Station
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    Crew Dragon Freedom illuminated in a blue glow as auroras move through Earth's atmosphere

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Not counting the aborted flight of Soyuz MS-10.

References

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  1. ^ a b Niles-Carnes, Elyna (17 December 2024). "NASA Adjusts Crew-10 Launch Date". NASA. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Doyle, Tiernan P. (17 July 2024). "NASA, SpaceX Invite Media to Watch Crew-9 Launch to Space Station". NASA. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  3. ^ Taveau, Jessica (24 August 2024). "NASA Decides to Bring Starliner Spacecraft Back to Earth Without Crew". NASA. Retrieved 24 August 2024.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Donaldson, Abbey A. (30 August 2024). "NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Changes Ahead of September Launch". NASA. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  5. ^ Berger, Eric (23 August 2024). "Cards on the table: Are Butch and Suni coming home on Starliner or Crew Dragon?". Ars Technica. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  6. ^ Turner, Dane (20 September 2024). "Crew-9". Houston, We Have a Podcast (Podcast). NASA. Retrieved 26 September 2024. So now we have to do the pilot and the commander role as a single person, you know, so there's not going to be a pilot there. Now we have had three weeks of training and it's been awesome to watch the full team come together, to watch the SpaceX team, to watch the NASA team surge and just roll your sleeves up and figure out, okay, how do we need to change things? And it's, you know, we've had previously flown Dragon crew members in the astronaut office that have helped support us. Zena and Stephanie have been integral to this effort and have pointed out and helped us come up with some great ways to understand what we can and can't do given the training that Alex has cause he's there, he's been through this training for two years. And so, there are things that he is extremely capable of doing that I would do as a pilot. And so we want to leverage those. But there's also a lot of things that he hasn't been trained on. And so we identify where those limitations are and then, and then I figure out what I need to do in order to cover down on all of that.
  7. ^ Daines, Gary (20 August 2024). "FAQ: NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Return Status". NASA. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  8. ^ Costa, Jason (26 July 2024). "NASA, SpaceX Targeting Aug. 18 for Crew-9 Mission to Space Station". NASA. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  9. ^ Berger, Eric (5 August 2024). "NASA likely to significantly delay the launch of Crew 9 due to Starliner issues". Ars Technica. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  10. ^ Niles-Carnes, Elyna (6 August 2024). "NASA Adjusts Crew-9 Launch Date for Operational Flexibility". NASA. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  11. ^ Garcia, Mark (4 September 2024). "Crew Studies Space Effects on Humans, Prepares Spaceships for Departure". blogs.nasa.gov. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  12. ^ Berger, Eric (6 August 2024). "NASA chief will make the final decision on how Starliner crew flies home". Ars Technica. Retrieved 7 August 2024. The Crew-9 mission is now expected to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This will be the first crewed launch from this complex, which SpaceX has built up in addition to its crew tower at Launch Complex 39A at nearby Kennedy Space Center.
  13. ^ Clark, Stephen (21 March 2024). "SpaceX's workhorse launch pad now has the accoutrements for astronauts". Ars Technica. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  14. ^ Tingley, Brett (8 August 2024). "US Space Force will make history when SpaceX's Crew-9 mission launches in September". Space.com. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  15. ^ Robinson-Smith, Will (26 July 2024). "NASA holds briefings on Crew 9 mission as SpaceX nears return to flight". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Dragon Recovery to Return to the U.S. West Coast". SpaceX. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  17. ^ Sempsrott, Danielle (21 September 2024). "NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Duo Lands at Florida Spaceport". NASA. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  18. ^ Niles-Carnes, Elyna (24 September 2024). "NASA, SpaceX Shift Crew-9 Launch to NET Sept. 28 Over Weather Concerns". NASA. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  19. ^ Niles-Carnes, Elyna (25 September 2024). "NASA, SpaceX Complete Launch Rehearsal, Falcon 9 Static Fire". NASA. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  20. ^ Clark, Stephen (28 September 2024). "SpaceX launches mission to bring Starliner astronauts back to Earth". Ars Technica. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  21. ^ Chang, Kenneth (28 September 2024). "SpaceX Launches Mission to Bring Back Starliner Astronauts". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  22. ^ NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Launch. NASA. 28 September 2024. Event occurs at 4:09:00. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Launch. NASA. 28 September 2024. Event occurs at 4:18:45. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ Young, Steven (29 September 2024). "SpaceX grounds its Falcon rocket fleet after upper stage misfire". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  25. ^ Roulette, Joey (30 September 2024). "US FAA grounds SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket after second-stage malfunction". Reuters. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  26. ^ Shepardson, David (11 October 2022). "US FAA approves SpaceX Falcon 9 return to flight after mishap probe". Reuters. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  27. ^ "Falcon 9 NASA Crew-9 Forecast" (PDF). 45th Weather Squadron. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
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