Close Menu
    NASA's Steve Stich says the agency has a plan in place to launch two astronauts on Crew-9, and bring back Butch and Suni in February 2025 on that vehicle. NASA has not decided to activate this option yet.
    Space

    NASA’s Steve Stich says the agency has a plan in place to launch two astronauts on Crew-9, and bring back Butch and Suni in February 2025 on that vehicle. NASA has not decided to activate this option yet.


    NASA’s Steve Stich says the agency has a plan in place to launch two astronauts on Crew-9, and bring back Butch and Suni in February 2025 on that vehicle. NASA has not decided to activate this option yet.

    https://x.com/SciGuySpace/status/1821226399945912804

    View 11 Comments

    11 Comments

    1. Eggplantosaur on

      I doubt NASA wants to “punish” 2 other astronauts by activate this option.

      Another one I heard is that one of the Starliner astronauts will fly back on Crew-9, and the other on Crew-10. Softens the blow a bit

    3. Underwater_Karma on

      they left on an 8 day mission, and will be 8 months to get home.

      I hope someone is collecting their mail.

    4. The_Irish_Hello on

      The whole thing makes a lot more sense after we learned that Starliner isn’t even capable of returning autonomously. Removing that software should be under very, VERY intense scrutiny at Boeing and NASA

    5. mustafar0111 on

      The lack of transparency about what is going on from NASA has been horrible on this one.

      We’re getting official NASA sources now confirming a lot of what has been published in Ars for days now.

      Edit: Its been confirmed by NASA that SpaceX was given a task order and completed it to develop modifications to the vehicle to be able to bring 5 crew up and down. For Crew-9 SpaceX was given a task order to increase the seat count to 4 which they have completed meaning SpaceX will now be able to bring 4 crew down with Crew-9. They have also developed a contingency if they can’t undock Starliner with crew and issued and completed a task order for Crew-8 to have additional crew on the cargo pallet of Crew Dragon using a foam pad configuration.

    6. bloregirl1982 on

      Did they cancel their Netflix??? And who’s watering the plants.

      Hope they get paid a huge overtime, by Boeing.

      Just take dragon, this doesn’t make any sense

    7. waamoandy on

      Do astronauts get overtime rates? The two up there on their extended stay could be pretty rich after all this overtime.

    8. UW_Ebay on

      Damn I wonder if the astronauts are struggling mentally with any of this. Like being mentally prepared for a weeks stay and then being up there for 8mos. They’re probably fine but can imagine it might be tough.

      Hope they’re getting a good pay differential for this haha (I’m sure they’re not).

    9. DestinyInDanger on

      This is pathetic. Why can’t they do it right now or in a few weeks or even in a month or two?

    10. monchota on

      We need new administration at NASA is obviously the old gaurd protecting thier friends.

    11. Goregue on

      Today’s press conference marked a clear shift in the way NASA talks about this mission. Before it was always “Starliner will come back with crew, that’s the plan, we have contingency options but those are not relevant right now”, but now they have laid clear plans to return them with Dragon, are plainly admitting that they have disagreements over whether Starliner is safe enough, with one NASA official even admitting that the chances of them returning on Dragon has increased.

      It’s interesting to question if this had always been the cause but they were just downplaying those concerns to the press, or if they really had a change in attitude since the last press conference. (I suspect it’s a little of both.)