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Crew-9 Astronauts Arrive at ISS Amid SpaceX Rocket Anomaly

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The SpaceX Crew-9 mission successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, despite SpaceX reporting an anomaly with the Falcon 9 rocket. NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived safely, joining the current ISS crew after launching from Cape Canaveral the previous day. The capsule’s hatch was opened at 7:04 p.m. ET, marking the official arrival of the Crew-9 team.

The mission’s arrival at the ISS came after SpaceX disclosed that the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn, resulting in its disposal in the ocean, though it missed the targeted area. SpaceX has paused future Falcon 9 flights pending further investigation into the root cause of the issue.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been on the ISS since June after issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, will return to Earth with Crew-9 next year. Due to technical issues with the Starliner, NASA decided to extend their stay and use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their return. The Starliner returned to Earth unmanned in September following complications with helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.

Williams and Wilmore had originally planned for a short stay on the ISS, but NASA adjusted its plans, extending their mission. They will now fulfill duties alongside the Crew-9 team until their scheduled return in early 2024. NASA cited vehicle availability and ISS operational needs as key reasons for keeping the astronauts in space for a full crew rotation.

The full ISS crew now consists of NASA’s Don Pettit, Russian cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov. NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos have continued their collaborative seat-swapping program, which brought Pettit and Gorbunov to the station on spacecraft from each other’s countries.

SpaceX’s next mission, Crew-10, is slated for February 2024 and will involve a newly developed Crew Dragon capsule. Until then, Williams and Wilmore will remain in space, having adapted to the extended mission duration.

 

Boeing Starliner Returns to Earth Empty, Delayed by Months

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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, returned to Earth without the astronauts it initially delivered, months later than planned. Originally scheduled to depart earlier, the mission was extended due to issues with the capsule’s propulsion system. NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were expected to return on Starliner, will instead remain at the ISS until February, when they will return aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

Starliner left the ISS at 6:04 p.m. ET and touched down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday. The undocking process was adjusted to account for the absence of crew members, who would normally handle manual control if needed.

The spacecraft’s extended stay at the ISS, lasting approximately three months instead of the planned nine days, was due to ongoing investigations into the propulsion issues. Although Boeing assured that Starliner was safe for an emergency return, NASA decided to send the spacecraft back empty to better understand the root causes of its problems.

This delay has hindered Boeing’s progress in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, a critical initiative aimed at having multiple companies, including Boeing and SpaceX, capable of rotating missions to the ISS. The delays and additional costs, now exceeding $1.5 billion, could jeopardize Boeing’s future participation in the program.