Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the United States, April 16, 2024. /CFP
NASA announced on Friday that it will replace two astronauts scheduled for an upcoming SpaceX flight to make room for the two crew members currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) who arrived on Boeing’s malfunctioning Starliner capsule.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots who launched to the ISS on the Starliner spacecraft in June, will now join the SpaceX mission, replacing Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson.
The change comes after NASA officials declared last week that the issues with Starliner’s propulsion system made it too risky to return its crew as initially planned, dealing a significant setback to Boeing’s space program.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon mission, initially planned to launch four astronauts to the ISS on August 18, has now been rescheduled to no earlier than September 24, according to NASA. Cardman, originally set to command the mission, and Wilson, designated as the mission specialist, remain eligible for reassignment to future missions.
The new lineup for the SpaceX mission will see Nick Hague, who was previously assigned as the pilot, stepping in as commander. Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will maintain his role as mission specialist, and both will return to Earth with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.
NASA’s decision to use SpaceX, Boeing’s main competitor, to bring the astronauts back from the ISS underscores another challenge for Boeing’s troubled space efforts. Boeing had been counting on the success of the Starliner test mission to revive its space program, which has been plagued by years of development issues.
(With input from Reuters)
Source: CGTN
