NASA and SpaceX's continuation of the Commercial Crew program is coming this week, with the Crew-9 mission finally launching towards the International Space Station, bringing a new batch of two space personnel to orbit. This is the anticipated rescheduled date of the Crew-9 after infamously facing a delay because of SpaceX's Falcon 9 mishap last August, with the FAA demanding corrective actions.
Despite the tumultuous weather on its date, SpaceX's Falcon 9 will arrive at Florida's Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex-40.
NASA, SpaceX Crew-9 is Launching This Week to ISS
The ninth crew launch of the Commercial Crew program is already a go for launch, but instead of its original September 24 schedule, it will take place this Thursday, September 26. This mission from NASA and SpaceX will feature the Crew-9, and it will bring a new batch of space crew to the ISS where they will stay on the space station to carry out research, experiments, and spacewalks in orbit.
SpaceX will launch the Crew-9 for NASA with its Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 spacecraft, and this will also bring the Crew-8 personnel back to the planet. However, there is still another potential issue, as Tropical Cyclone 9 which NASA and Space Force's 45th weather squadron are closely monitoring.
Additionally, the Falcon 9 is still set to undergo its final dress rehearsal and static fire launch once it arrives on Launch Complex-40 this Tuesday, September 24.
Read Also: SpaceX to Face Possible $630K Fine for Launch Violations in 2023, FAA Reveals
What Changes Were Applied to Crew-9 Mission?
One of the major changes in the Crew-9 mission is that it would only feature two passengers aboard the Dragon, with NASA astronaut and commander, Nick Hague, to be accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist,Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson are to sit this mission out as NASA will use this mission (and SpaceX's Dragon) to make way for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' return to the planet this February, at the end of Crew-9's mission.
Crew-9's Mission Timeline and Delay
NASA and SpaceX first scheduled the Crew-9 mission to take place by mid-August, but an earlier problem with the Falcon 9 where it exploded mid-air after its engine failed to reignite caused the delay. It was temporarily suspended by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and was ordered to carry out corrective actions and submit its report on what happened.
This led to SpaceX's future missions facing a delay, particularly with its August launches where it is slated to bring the Crew-9 to orbit and the Polaris Dawn program's historic flight to the farthest point in space. However, it was mainly because of Boeing's Starliner which saw an extended stay in the ISS, best known for ultimately leaving behind its two astronauts.
Polaris was first delayed and was supposedly the last mission to fly, but because of the delay, the program went ahead as Crew-9 got a much later date. Instead of the September 24 rescheduling of Crew-9, it got a later date for this Thursday, and apart from this, there is also a change on its manifest where only two will board the Dragon, with one NASA astronaut, and the other, Roscosmos' cosmonaut.
Related Article: NASA Introduces Crew-10 Astronauts to Launch in Dragon to the ISS Ahead of Spacex's Crew-9 Mission
