NASA, @NorthropGrumman, and @SpaceX are standing down from today's launch opportunity for the next #Cygnus cargo mission to the @Space_Station. Teams are targeting no earlier than 11:02am EDT (1502 UTC), Sunday, Aug. 4 for the next launch opportunity: https://t.co/KFDb5wqipF pic.twitter.com/8ko3WuixIW
— NASA (@NASA) August 3, 2024
NASA is facing a potential crowding issue aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore remain stranded due to technical problems with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The delay threatens the launch of the upcoming Crew-9 mission, set to depart for space on August 18. The ISS, designed to accommodate three to six astronauts, is at risk of overcrowding once the four astronauts of the Crew-9 mission arrive.
NASA has not held a media briefing on Starliner's Crew Flight Test in 11 days. This is unreal given that it is a test flight, and there are huge questions about how this mission will end.
— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) August 5, 2024
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s space operations mission directorate, stated, “We have never had so many vehicles and so many options. It complicates our lives, but in a really good way.”
Williams and Wilmore have been in space since June 6. As of now, NASA has not set a return date, leaving the duo in a state of uncertainty.
This story should be getting a LOT more attention than it is right now. https://t.co/DVSjKfxTVW
— Sriram Krishnan – sriramk.eth (@sriramk) August 5, 2024
Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, mentioned, “The goal is to bring Wilmore and Williams back aboard Starliner. We’ll come home when we’re ready. Backup options are under review.
Eight weeks after the Starliner spacecraft launched, NASA is still looking for possible answers to its technical issues—including the possibility of SpaceX lend…
Source: WIRED https://t.co/gIzVR2DRZh
— The Honest Broker (@RogerPielkeJr) August 4, 2024
nasa evaluates timing for Crew-9
NASA always has contingency options.”
The priority remains undocking the Starliner to free up one of the docking ports. Program manager Dana Weigel commented, “I’ve got to take off a vehicle.
And so our plan is to undock Starliner first to free up a port.”
The Crew-9 mission, involving SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, aims to conduct a rotational shift for the current Crew Dragon mission aboard the ISS. Progress has been reported in resolving the Starliner’s technical issues, with hopes that these fixes will be completed before the new mission launches. NASA is also planning to significantly delay the launch of the Crew-9 mission due to ongoing concerns about the Starliner spacecraft currently attached to the station.
While the space agency has not made a formal statement, sources indicate that an announcement is expected this week. Officials are contemplating moving the Crew-9 mission from August 18 to September 24, a significant delay. As NASA and Boeing work to overcome these challenges, the space community remains on alert for further developments.
A successful completion of this mission is crucial for Boeing’s standing in NASA’s commercial crew program. A second operational spacecraft would bolster NASA’s partnerships with private industry, marking a pivotal moment for Boeing as it competes with SpaceX.
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