SpaceX to Launch Spacecraft Carrying NASA Astronauts on 29th, Replacing Boeing

Launch with Only Two Astronauts from the US and Russia Onboard
Return Scheduled for February Next Year After Completing Mission

SpaceX's space capsule 'Dragon,' which will bring back two astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) in place of Boeing's space capsule 'Starliner' that failed to complete its crewed test flight mission due to a gas defect, has completed all preparations for launch.

According to NASA on the 26th (local time), Dragon and the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch the spacecraft recently completed a launch rehearsal and finished all preparations. The launch is scheduled for the 28th at the Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex in Florida. SpaceX stated that if weather conditions are unfavorable on the day, they plan to attempt the launch again the following afternoon.

The flight mission named 'Crew-9' will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS.

This flight is the ninth ISS astronaut rotation mission under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, contracted and conducted in partnership with SpaceX.

Until now, SpaceX's space capsule launches have been fully occupied with four seats, carrying four astronauts. However, this time, two seats will be left empty to bring back NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are on long-term stays at the ISS after going there for Boeing Starliner's crewed test flight, so only two astronauts will board.

The boarding astronauts, Hague and Gorbunov, will conduct over 200 activities including their primary scientific experiments and technology demonstrations at the ISS for six months, then return in February next year aboard Dragon with Williams and Wilmore.

Previously, Williams and Wilmore left Earth in June for Starliner's first crewed test flight with an approximately eight-day mission. However, after docking with the ISS, several defects such as helium leaks and thruster malfunctions were detected on Starliner, delaying their return schedule.

Initially, NASA expected Starliner to successfully complete its crewed test flight, but ultimately decided to use SpaceX's Dragon for the astronauts' return due to safety concerns, adjusting the Crew-9 plan accordingly.

This is expected to further solidify SpaceX's market dominance. In 2014, NASA set a policy to focus on deep space exploration and entrusted low Earth orbit crew transportation to the private sector, signing contracts worth $4.2 billion (about 5.7 trillion KRW) with Boeing and $2.6 billion (about 3.6 trillion KRW) with SpaceX for crew capsule development.

Since then, SpaceX's Dragon completed its crewed test flight in 2020 and has conducted over ten spaceflight missions, while Boeing has yet to complete development after failing Starliner's crewed test flight this time. Starliner only succeeded in its uncrewed test flight in May 2022. Boeing's related cost overruns have reached a total of $1.6 billion since 2016.