NASA announces new astronaut crew for SpaceX Crew-9 Mission ahead of September launch; to return with Sunita Williams

NASA, on Friday, reassigned a new set of astronauts for its SpaceX Crew-9 mission, ahead of its launch in September 2024. Astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have been appointed as the commander and mission specialist for SpaceX Dragon spacecraft respectively, which is scheduled to take off on September 24.

Previously announced NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson have been reassigned to future missions, said the space administration in its latest update. The other astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who left for space on the Starliner spacecraft in June, will return to Earth with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025.

NASA's decision comes after it decided to launch Crew-9 with two vacant seats, following an uncrewed Boeing Crew Flight Test.

Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba's decision

NASA’s chief astronaut Joe Acaba made the decision to include Hague, considering his prior spaceflight experience and the need for an integrated crew that includes a Roscosmos cosmonaut for effective station operations.

Acaba acknowledged that reducing the crew size was a difficult choice, particularly given the original training with a crew of four, but expressed full confidence in the crew's capabilities.

Cardman expressed her pride and confidence in Hague and Gorbunov, noting that both will excel in their roles. “I am confident Nick and Alex will step into their roles with excellence. All four of us remain dedicated to the success of this mission, and Stephanie and I look forward to flying when the time is right,” said Cardman.

Hague and Gorbunov to join Sunita Williams

The Space X Crew 9 mission will mark Hague’s third spaceflight. His first launch in October 2018 was aborted due to a rocket failure, but he later successfully flew to the ISS in March 2019. With over 200 days in space, Hague has participated in several critical spacewalks and served as the Space Force’s director of test and evaluation before returning to NASA.

Gorbunov, who will be making his first spaceflight, has a background in engineering and previous experience supporting spacecraft launches. As members of the Expedition 72 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join Wilmore, Williams, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner for the ongoing scientific research at the space body.