NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov embarked on their journey to the International Space Station on Saturday, launching from Florida’s Space Coast in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The duo began their five-month space mission aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off at 1:17 pm EDT (17:17 UTC) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The launch took place amidst a brief window of clear weather, with the Falcon 9’s first stage being powered by nine kerosene-fueled Merlin engines that propelled them northeastward. After the initial stage, the booster detached and made its way back to Cape Canaveral, while the upper stage hastened the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft into orbit.
“It was a sweet ride,” commented Hague post-launch, signaling a smooth start to their journey. The pair is scheduled to dock with the space station by approximately 5:30 pm EDT (2130 UTC) the following day.
Unusual Passenger Count
This launch marked SpaceX’s 15th crewed mission since 2020 and its 10th astronaut launch for NASA, standing out due to several unique circumstances.
“Each mission has its unique challenges, and this one will certainly be memorable for many of us,” stated Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations.
Uniquely, the Crew Dragon spacecraft carried only two astronauts instead of the usual four. The original Crew-9 lineup included Hague, Gorbunov, commander Zena Cardman, and NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson.
However, complications arose from the problematic test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which launched in June carrying astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Despite reaching the space station, the Starliner faced issues like thruster failures and helium leaks, prompting NASA last month to deem it too risky for the crew’s return journey.
Since 2014, NASA had entrusted SpaceX and Boeing with multibillion-dollar commercial crew contracts to develop spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX first executed this in 2020, and Boeing followed with the mentioned test flight.
Although the Starliner eventually landed safely in New Mexico on September 6, Wilmore and Williams had to stay back at the space station. The station’s crew prepared two makeshift seats inside a docked SpaceX Dragon to accommodate an emergency evacuation if needed.
As a temporary solution, NASA decided to reduce the number of astronauts on the next SpaceX crew mission, allowing Wilmore and Williams to return in February using the seats made available by the reduced passenger count for Crew-9.
This decision led to considerable changes in space station operations, with NASA having to choose which astronauts would remain for the Crew-9 mission.
Hague retained his spot and switched from pilot to commander after originally training for the former role. The 49-year-old Space Force colonel, who had previously survived a launch abort in 2018 due to a Russian Soyuz rocket failure, took over Cardman’s role. Gorbunov, a 34-year-old Russian aerospace engineer on his inaugural space flight, took over as the pilot, although officially designated a mission specialist, a decision influenced by international crew exchange agreements with Russia.
Bowersox announced that Cardman and Wilson would be reassigned to future missions.
Expanding Launch Capabilities
This mission also marked the inaugural astronaut launch from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, which had been adapted to support human spaceflights with a new 200-foot-tall tower and crew access arm for boarding atop Falcon 9 rockets.
Previously used for cargo missions, SLC-40’s recent upgrades, including emergency slide chutes, enhance the safety and operational flexibility for crewed missions. This shift allows SpaceX and NASA to manage multiple missions simultaneously, such as the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch from nearby LC-39A, without scheduling conflicts.
With the certification of SLC-40 for crewed launches, the Florida spaceport now boasts three pads approved for crew flights, with plans to introduce a fourth with next year’s Artemis II moon mission, according to NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.
Earlier in the week, Hague and Gorbunov rehearsed their launch procedures at SLC-40, familiarizing themselves with its layout and capabilities, similar yet distinct from LC-39A. SpaceX also conducted a successful test-fire of the Falcon 9, subsequently cleaning and making necessary adjustments to the Dragon spacecraft after discovering soot accumulation from the engines.
Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability, highlighted a backup capability for the Crew Dragon to ensure a safe splashdown even if all parachutes fail, utilizing the capsule’s SuperDraco thrusters designed for emergency launch aborts.
This emergency landing system, initially intended for helicopter-like propulsive landings, remains a deep contingency plan, ensuring crew safety in extreme scenarios. Meanwhile, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, confirmed this system would be available for the upcoming return of the Crew-8 mission, expected early October.
The article has been updated following confirmation of a successful launch.
I am Sofia, a tech-savvy journalist and passionate member of the “Jason Deegan” team. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the latest technological advancements and loved sharing my knowledge with others.