The capsule carried just half the regular crew, leaving two seats open for “Suni” Williams and “Butch” Wilmore, who have been stuck on the space station for months.
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully reached orbit on Sunday with an unusually small crew heading to the International Space Station .
Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronaut Nick Hague wave as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building at Cape Canaveral, Florida, as they prepare for their mission to the International Space Station.If the mission is successful, it will be a triumphant moment for SpaceX, whose Dragon capsule has become NASA’s sole means of delivering astronauts to the ISS.
The mission, known as Crew-9, is staffed by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. NASA officials had considered including extra weight, known as ballast, to account for the smaller crew, but ultimately decided it wasn’t needed, according to a NASA spokesman. The decision meant Williams’ and Wilmore’s stay on the space station was extended to nearly eight months. They are expected to return to Earth in February with Hague and Gorbunov.The Starliner returned to Earth without a crew in early September, a setback for Boeing and for US officials desperate to have more options for accessing the space station.
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