NASA to Replace Crew Members for SpaceX Flight

(Reuters) – NASA announced on Friday that it will replace two crew members for an upcoming SpaceX flight to accommodate astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) who had arrived on Boeing’s defective Starliner capsule.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will replace Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson on the SpaceX mission.

Last week, NASA officials judged issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system too risky to bring its first crew home as planned, marking a significant setback for Boeing’s troubled space program.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, originally scheduled to launch four astronauts to the ISS on August 18, has had its mission, dubbed Crew-9, rescheduled by NASA to “no earlier than” September 24.

Cardman, initially selected as the mission’s commander, and Wilson, the mission specialist, remain eligible for reassignment to future missions, according to NASA’s release.

Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue as part of the crew and return with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025. Hague, who was originally the pilot, will now serve as commander, while Gorbunov retains his position as mission specialist.

NASA’s choice to partner with SpaceX to return the astronauts signifies another setback for Boeing and represents one of NASA’s most pivotal decisions in recent years. Boeing hoped the success of the Starliner test mission would help redeem its program after numerous developmental issues.