Commercial Crew Program

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Crewmates to Head to Kennedy Ahead of Launch

Image shows NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — NASA astronaut Nick Hague (left) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission no earlier than 2:05 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept.. 26 Credit: SpaceX

Coverage is set for NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who are scheduled to launch no earlier than 2:05 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 26, aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.

Hague and Gorbunov are scheduled to arrive at approximately 1:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, Sept. 21, touching down at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After landing, the crewmates will join NASA Kennedy leadership to make brief remarks and answer questions from the media. Additional participants include:

Kelvin Manning, deputy director, NASA Kennedy
Dana Hutcherson, deputy program manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy

Live coverage of the crew’s arrival will stream on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The Crew-9 mission to the space station will be the first human spaceflight mission to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This is the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will spend approximately five months at the station, conducting more than 200 science and research demonstrations before returning in February 2025.

More details about the launch will be posted on the mission blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Enters Quarantine Ahead of Launch

Photo shows NASA, SpaceX Crew-9 members from right to left, Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — From right to left, NASA SpaceX Crew-9 members Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, pose for an official crew portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Photo Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarel

Members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission will spend the next two weeks in routine preflight quarantine at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston ahead of their mission to the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX have shifted the Crew-9 launch to no earlier than Wednesday, Sept. 25, to complete prelaunch preparations and ensure separation between operations. Liftoff is targeted for 2:28 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. This is the first time a human spaceflight mission will launch from the pad. Additional launch opportunities are available on Thursday, Sept. 26, Friday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Sept. 28.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, will remain in isolation to prevent exposure to any illnesses before they join the Expedition 72 crew at the space station. As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June.

Hague and Gorbunov are set to arrive at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Sept. 20, where the pair will remain in quarantine at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building until launch.

Crew-9 is the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will spend approximately five months at the orbiting laboratory conducting spacewalks, research demonstrations, and experiments before returning in February 2025.

More details about the launch will be posted on the mission blog, @commercial_crew on X, or commercial crew on Facebook.

Starliner Lands in New Mexico

Boeing's Starliner touches down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico — Boeing’s Starliner touches down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. EDT Saturday, Sept. 7, completing the agency’s Crew Flight Test. Photo credit: NASA

At 12:01 a.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

NASA will provide coverage of a post-landing news conference at 1:30 a.m. on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

The following will participate in the news conference:

Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, NASA Johnson

Learn more about the mission by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and @NASACommercialCrew on Facebook.

Starliner Spacecraft Airbags Inflate for Landing

The uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft is less than two minutes from landing on U.S. soil after spending three months at the International Space Station. Starliner is the first American-made orbital crew capsule designed to perform a ground landing as a reusable spacecraft.

The base heat shield separated from the spacecraft to allow the six airbags to inflate and brace for a ground landing. The three main parachutes are also slowing down the uncrewed capsule.

The airbags are filled with nitrogen to cushion Starliner’s landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The NASA and Boeing landing and recovery team is stationed at a holding zone near the landing site. After landing, technicians will use equipment to “sniff” the spacecraft for any lingering hypergolic fluids before approaching Starliner, opening the hatch, and unloading time-critical cargo. The spacecraft will then be transported to Boeing facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Starliner Deploys Drogue, Main Parachutes

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft descends under parachutes toward its landing site in New Mexico during its return to Earth on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA’s coverage continues as Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft reaches the final stages of landing.

Around 30,000 feet after atmospheric re-entry, the forward heat shield separated from the spacecraft and the drogue parachutes inflated to help slow down the uncrewed capsule.

About 45 seconds later, at around 8,000 feet, the drogue parachutes separated to make way for three larger main parachutes to deploy, slow down Starliner to 4 miles per hour, and allow an airbag-assisted landing.

Soon, the base heat shield will jettison to expose six airbags that will inflate to assist in a soft landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico in just a few minutes at 12 a.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 7.

Watch landing coverage on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.

Starliner Completes Entry Interface

Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft successfully completed entry interface over the Pacific Ocean.

During re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere, Starliner will begin to slow down from orbital velocity at 17,500 miles per hour.

The next milestone will be separation of the forward heat shield and deployment of two drogue parachutes to slow Starliner’s speed and drag.

The spacecraft is expected to land at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

NASA’s Coverage Continues, Starliner Begins Re-entry

NASA’s coverage continues on NASA+, the NASA app, and YouTube, and the agency’s website as Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft begins entry interface 400,000 feet above Earth.

As the hottest part of re-entry, the spacecraft’s heat shield will reach 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it enters the atmosphere.

Starliner is equipped with an ablative heat shield containing a layer of plastic resin that will heat up to gas and carry the heat away from the crew capsule through convection. This process helps keep the temperature inside the capsule around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Similar heat shields were used on Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecrafts.

The spacecraft is expected to land at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.

Starliner Completes Deorbit Burn, Readies for Entry Interface

A graphic depicting Boeing Starliner's spacecraft conducting its deorbit burn as it returns to Earth. — A graphic depicting Boeing Starliner’s spacecraft conducting its deorbit burn as it returns to Earth as part of the agency’s Crew Flight Test on Friday, June 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

At 11:18 p.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft completed its deorbit burn as expected over the Pacific Ocean. About two and a half minutes later, the spacecraft’s expendable service module separated. The service module provided propulsion and power leading up to the deorbit burn.

NASA’s coverage continues on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website as teams prepare for landing.

The next milestone is in about 15 minutes with entry interface. Starliner will angle itself and its heat shield for re-entry as the spacecraft prepares for a parachute-and-airbag-assisted landing at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

Starliner is the first American-made orbital crew capsule designed to perform a ground landing as a reusable spacecraft. NASA’s Spaceflight Meteorology Group forecasts a few clouds at 8,000 feet and winds out of 100 degrees around 6 knots, peaking to 8 knots, for tonight’s landing.

Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.

NASA’s Coverage Underway, Starliner Prepares for Deorbit Burn

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is seen during its return to Earth after undocking from the International Space Station. — Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is seen during its return to Earth after undocking from the International Space Station at 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA’s coverage is underway on NASA+, the NASA app, and YouTube, and the agency’s website as Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft prepares for deorbit burn, entry, and landing.

Starliner autonomously undocked from the forward-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 6:04 p.m. EDT, and mission managers gave a “go” for the spacecraft to proceed for a deorbit burn.

Starliner’s deorbit burn is expected at 11:17 p.m. EDT and involves the spacecraft firing its larger orbital maneuvering and attitude control thrusters, providing the power necessary to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.

Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.

Uncrewed Starliner Undocks from Station for Return to Earth

The uncrewed Starliner spacecraft backs away from the International Space Station shortly undocking from the Harmony module. Credit: NASA+

At 6:04 p.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station. Starliner is headed for a deorbit burn at 11:17 p.m. and a targeted landing at 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

NASA’s coverage will begin at 10:50 p.m. for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Learn more about the mission by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and @NASACommercialCrew on Facebook.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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