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SpaceX Crew-9

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SpaceX Crew-9
Artists' impression of a Crew Dragon approaching the forward port of Harmony on the ISS.
NamesUSCV-9
Mission typeISS crew transport
OperatorSpaceX
Mission duration180 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon Freedom
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Crew
Crew size4
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateNET 18 August 2024 (planned)[1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
(B1085.1)
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
Landing dateFebruary 2025 (planned)
Landing sitePacific Ocean
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony forward or zenith
Docking date19 August 2024 (planned)
Undocking dateFebruary 2025 (planned)
Time docked180 days (planned)

SpaceX Crew-9 mission patch

From left: Wilson, Gorbunov, Hague and Cardman

SpaceX Crew-9 is planned to be the ninth crewed operational NASA Commercial Crew flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft and the 15th overall crewed orbital flight. The mission is planned to launch no earlier than 18 August 2024 and will transport four crew members to the International Space Station (ISS): NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Nick Hague and Stephanie Wilson, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut, Aleksandr Gorbunov.[1]

However, the launch may be delayed to 24 September, and the crew complement reduced because of technical issues with the Boeing Starliner Calypso currently docked to the ISS for the Boeing Crew Flight Test.[2]

Crew

[edit]
Prime crew
Position[1] Crew
Commander United States Zena Cardman, NASA
Expedition 71 / 72
First spaceflight
Pilot United States Nick Hague, NASA
Expedition 71 / 72
Second[a] spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 United States Stephanie Wilson, NASA
Expedition 71 / 72
Fourth spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Russia Aleksandr Gorbunov, Roscosmos
Expedition 71 / 72
First spaceflight
Backup crew
Position[1] Crew
Commander United States Anne McClain, NASA
Pilot United States Nichole Ayers, NASA
Mission Specialist 2 Russia Kirill Peskov, Roscosmos

Mission

[edit]

The ninth SpaceX operational mission in the Commercial Crew Program is scheduled to launch in August 2024.[1]

The mission will end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, a first for a Crew Dragon mission. While 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 spashdown, 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 (nicknamed the Spacecraft cemetery) where any debris that survives reentry will be unlikely to cause damage.[3][4]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Not counting the aborted flight of Soyuz MS-10.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Doyle, Tiernan P. (17 July 2024). "NASA, SpaceX Invite Media to Watch Crew-9 Launch to Space Station". NASA. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ Berger, Eric (5 August 2024). "NASA likely to significantly delay the launch of Crew 9 due to Starliner issues". arstechnica. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Dragon Recovery to Return to the U.S. West Coast". SpaceX. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
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