NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos astronaut Alexander Gorbunov will launch on the company’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the Worldwide House Station earlier than September 24.
The newest crew complement follows NASA’s choice to return the company’s Boeing Crew Flight Check and not using a crew and to launch Crew-9 with two empty seats. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams, who flew aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will fly dwelling with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025, NASA mentioned in a press launch.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, beforehand introduced as crew members, are eligible for reassignment on a future mission. Haig and Gorbunov will fly to the area station as commander and mission specialist, respectively, as a part of a two-crew flight aboard SpaceX Dragon.
The choice to fly Hague was made by NASA Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba on the company’s Johnson House Heart in Houston. Commanding the flight to Aqaba needed to steadiness flying a NASA crew member with earlier area flight expertise, whereas making certain that NASA maintained an built-in crew with a Roscosmos cosmonaut who constantly , can function its essential techniques for secure station operations.
“Whereas we’ve got made crew adjustments earlier than for a wide range of causes, it was one other troublesome choice to cut back the crew for this flight with the crew having skilled as a crew of 4,” Akaba mentioned.
“I’ve the utmost confidence in our total crew, who’ve been excellent throughout coaching for the mission. Xena and Stephanie will proceed to help their crewmates previous to launch, they usually exemplify what it takes to be an expert astronaut. What does that imply.”
The company will share reassignment particulars for Cardman and Wilson when out there, the discharge added. “I’m very pleased with our total crew, and I’m assured that Nick and Alex will step into their roles with excellence. All 4 of us stay devoted to the success of this mission, and Stephanie and I stay up for it,” Cardman mentioned. Sure. Fly when the time is true.”
“I do know Nick and Alex will do nicely with their work on the Worldwide House Station as a part of Expedition 72,” added Wilson. With 203 days logged in area, this will probably be Hague’s third launch and second mission for the orbiting laboratory. Throughout their first launch in October 2018, Hague and his crewmate, Alexei Ovchinin of Roscosmos, skilled a rocket booster failure, leading to an in-flight, post-launch incomplete, ballistic re-entry, they usually of Soyuz MS-10 made a secure touchdown. spacecraft
5 months later, Hague embarked aboard Soyuz MS-12 and served as a flight engineer on the area station throughout Expeditions 59 and 60. Hague carried out three spacewalks to improve the area station energy system and set up a docking adapter for industrial spacecraft.
An active-duty colonel within the US House Power, Hague accomplished a developmental rotation on the Division of Protection and served because the House Power’s director of check and analysis from 2020 to 2022. In August 2022, Hague resumed duties at NASA, working at Boeing. Starliner program till this flight task.
This will probably be Gorbunov’s first journey to area and the station. Born in Zeleznogorsk, Kursk Oblast, Russia, he studied engineering on the Moscow Aviation Institute with {qualifications} in spacecraft and higher levels.
Gorbunov graduated from the army division with a specialization in working and repairing airplanes, helicopters, and plane engines. Previous to his choice as an astronaut in 2018, he labored as an engineer for Rocket House Company Energia and assisted within the launch of cargo spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the discharge added.
Hague and Gorbonov will change into members of the Expedition 72 crew aboard the station. He’ll be a part of Wilmore, Williams, fellow NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner in scientific analysis and upkeep actions within the station’s twenty fourth 12 months of steady human presence.
