Expedition 72 – Commercial Crew Program

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Spacecraft Relocates to New Port

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew members freed up space for an upcoming arrival to the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, pilot, transferred their Dragon spacecraft from the forward-facing port of the Harmony module to the Zenith port at the orbiting laboratory on Nov. 3. The move makes room for SpaceX’s 31st commercial resupply mission expected to launch Monday, Nov. 4, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Targeted docking for the spacecraft to the Harmony module port is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Hague and Gorbunov arrived at the space station on Sept. 29 to conduct experiments, research demonstrations, and spacewalks. Hague and Gorbunov, Wilmore and Williams, will return to Earth in February 2025.

Updates will be posted on the mission blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Astronaut Returns to Houston

After an overnight stay at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida, the NASA astronaut was released and returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston Saturday. The crew member is in good health and will resume normal post-flight reconditioning with other crew members.

As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, the astronaut was one of four crewmates who safely splashed down aboard their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft near Pensacola on Oct. 25. The crew members completed a 235-day mission, 232 days of which were spent aboard the International Space Station conducting scientific research.

To protect the crew member’s medical privacy, specific details on the individual’s condition and identity will not be shared.

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.

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NASA Provides Update on Agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 Health

After safely splashing down on Earth as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission Friday, a NASA astronaut experienced a medical issue. NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin were flown together to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida.

After medical evaluation at the hospital, three of the crew members departed Pensacola and have arrived at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The one astronaut who remains at Ascension is in stable condition under observation as a precautionary measure. To protect the crew member’s medical privacy, specific details on the individual’s condition or identity will not be shared.

During its return to Earth, the SpaceX Dragon executed a normal entry and splashdown. Recovery of the crew and the spacecraft was without incident. During routine medical assessments on the recovery ship, the additional evaluation of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of caution.

We’re grateful to Ascension Sacred Heart for its support during this time, and we are proud of our team for its quick action to ensure the safety of our crew members.

The Crew-8 crew members splashed down aboard their Dragon spacecraft near Pensacola, Florida, to complete a 235-day mission, 232 days of which were spent aboard the International Space Station conducting scientific research.

NASA will provide additional information as it becomes available.

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.

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NASA Astronauts Wilmore, Williams Complete Move to Crew-9 Spacecraft

Image shows SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docking to the International Space Station on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. — SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov docked to the International Space Station on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are fully integrated into the newly arrived Crew-9 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. The duo tried on their SpaceX Intravehicular Activity spacesuits and completed pressurized suit leak checks on Tuesday. They also tested the suits’ audio configurations and conducted seat fit checks inside the Dragon spacecraft, completing the work required to return on the spacecraft that delivered NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the station on Sept. 29.

Williams, space station commander, and Wilmore, flight engineer, will remain on the space station as Expedition 72 crew members completing a science mission aboard the space station and return to Earth in February 2025 with Hague and Gorbunov as part of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. With the checks completed, the Crew-9 Dragon now is the normal and emergency return spacecraft for the four-person crew.

The temporary seats built up inside the Crew-8 Dragon spacecraft, that had been serving as an emergency return spacecraft for Williams and Wilmore until Crew-9 arrived, will be dismantled by the crew prior to the spacecraft’s departure from the space station. The Crew-8 spacecraft and its crew of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are scheduled to return to Earth in about a week, depending on weather conditions in the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida.

Expedition 72 Welcomes Crew-9 Duo Aboard Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 crew joins Expedition 72 aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew joins Expedition 72 aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov entered the International Space Station after opening the hatch between the space station and the pressurized mating adapter at 7:04 p.m. EDT before opening the hatch to Dragon.

Hague and Gorbunov were welcomed by the space station’s Expedition 72 crew, including NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Don Petitt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner.

NASA’s live coverage continues through crew welcome remarks aboard the station on NASA+, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

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/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

SpaceX Dragon with Crew-9 Aboard Docks to Station

Sept. 29, 2024: International Space Station Configuration. Six spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Dragons Endurance and Endeavour, the Northrop Grumman resupply ship, the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship, and the Progress 88 and 89 resupply ships. — Sept. 29, 2024: International Space Station Configuration. Six spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Dragons Endeavour and Freedom, the Northrop Grumman resupply ship, the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship, and the Progress 88 and 89 resupply ships.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived at the International Space Station Sunday, as the SpaceX Dragon Freedom docked to the orbiting complex at 5:30 p.m. EDT while the station was 260 statute miles over Botswana.

Following Dragon’s link up to the Harmony module, the astronauts aboard the Dragon and the space station will begin conducting standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft in preparation for hatch opening scheduled for approximately 7:15 p.m.

Hague and Gorbunov will join the space station’s Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Don Petitt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. For a short time, the number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 people until Crew-8 members Dominick, Barratt, Epps, and Grebenkin return to Earth in early October.

NASA’s live coverage continues on NASA+, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

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/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 News Conference at 3 p.m. EDT

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. — SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

The SpaceX spacecraft carrying Crew-9 members NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, to the International Space Station has safely reached orbit, and the nosecone has opened.

A postlaunch news conference will be held at 3 p.m. EDT at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the following participants:

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
Dana Hutcherson, deputy program manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy
Dina Contella, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX

NASA will air the postlaunch news conference on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Spacecraft Flying Solo

SpaceX Dragon spacecraft separates from second stage 12 minutes after launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo: NASA

At 1:29 EDT, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft separated from the Falcon 9 rocket second stage and now is flying on its own.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, are on a 28.5-hour journey to the International Space Station. The spacecraft now is in orbit and will autonomously dock to the Harmony module’s forward port. Soon, the crew will open their visors and get out of their suits during the ride.

Once Hague and Gorbunov reach the orbiting laboratory, they will be greeted by nine members of the Expedition 72 crew. There will be a brief overlap period before NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 members, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin return to Earth. The four-person crew has been at the orbiting laboratory since March 5, when they docked to the orbital outpost aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.

Check back for updates on the mission blog, @commercial_crew on X, or commercial crew on Facebook.

Falcon 9 First Stage Sticks Landing

Image shows first-stage booster from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket comes in for a successful landing at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, just minutes after NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 launch from Space Launch Complex-40. — A first-stage booster from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket comes in for a successful landing at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, just minutes after NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 launch from Space Launch Complex-40. Photo credit: NASA

The first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has completed its descent and landed at the company’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Next, the Dragon spacecraft will separate from the rocket’s second stage to continue its journey to the International Space Station.

Falcon 9 Max Q, Main Engine Cutoff, Stage Separation

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has reached Max-Q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket. Following this, first stage main engine cutoff occurred, and the first and second stages have separated from each other.

The rocket’s first stage booster is scheduled to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Next, the Falcon 9’s second-stage engine will ignite to carry Crew-9 and the Dragon spacecraft closer to orbit.