Two astronauts who were supposed to be in space by now say they are still happy to be part of the ground team.
Until recently, NASA astronauts Xena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were assigned to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. But the Crew Dragon spacecraft left without them on Saturday (September 28) after their seats had to be reallocated in August to bring back two other NASA astronauts currently living on the International Space Station (ISS).
“I think it was hard not to watch this rocket take off and not think, ‘This is my rocket and this is my crew,’” Cardman said during the broadcast of the launch of the Crew-9 astronauts who left Earth on NASA Channel +. : Nick Hague of NASA and Alexander Gorbunov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
“It makes me feel very connected to this mission,” Cardman added.
SpaceX Crew-9 crew before two of them are removed from the flight. From left: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov and NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Zina Cardman and Stephanie Wilson. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Wilson, speaking during the same broadcast, stressed that astronauts always work for the same team regardless of whether they are in space or on Earth. “We, of course, want to be together,” she said of Crew-9. “We’ve built friendship and camaraderie…but I’m so excited for them [Hague and Gorbunov]”We look forward to hearing their stories from space.”
RELATED: SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft arrives at the ISS to help bring Starliner astronauts home (Video)
Crew Dragon went into space with two mass simulators in the former Cardman’s and Wilson’s seats. When Crew-9 ends in February 2025, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams will occupy those positions. Williams and Wilson were left without their expected flight home after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth independently on September 7.
The Starliner was launched into space without any major incident, but docking with the International Space Station on June 6 was problematic. Problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system delayed the spacecraft’s arrival at the International Space Station during its first-ever mission with astronauts. Two months of troubleshooting ensued, but NASA said the risk was still too high to bring the Starliner home with the crew. So Crew-9 was modified to accommodate Williams and Willmore on the return flight.
Cardman praised NASA for taking the time to “prioritize crew safety,” even though the Starliner’s unmanned return to Earth was safe enough, after the fact, to bring the NASA duo home. As for Williams and Willmore’s unexpected extension of the ISS from a few days to eight months: “Butch and Sonny are professionals and well prepared. They’re former travelers who have spent time on the space station before, so they’re doing a great job on the blackboard.”
Wilson and Cardman remain eligible for future NASA spaceflights.
