Crew-9 Launch Was a Balance of Precision and Perseverance
Image: Aleksandr Gorbunov (l) and Nick Hague (r) at the crew walkout; Crew-9 liftoff from SLC-40, CCSFS on Sept 28 at 1:17 pm EDT. Photos by Burt Dicht.
By Burt Dicht
NSS Managing Director of Membership
It is not often that a blog post turns out to be as prophetic as my previous post on the 45th Weather Squadron (Weathering the Launch on September 28). In that post I highlighted the squadron’s crucial role in supporting space launches—just as their skills were put to the test for Crew-9’s scheduled liftoff later that day. As the countdown began, storm patterns loomed near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), adding an air of uncertainty with the launch scheduled for 1:17 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40)
The weather didn’t look favorable, and everyone—including the SpaceX and NASA launch teams, and thousands of spectators—watched the sky, hoping for a break. Remarkably, thanks to precise monitoring and decision-making by the 45th Weather Squadron and the launch teams, the skies cleared just in time for a flawless, on-time liftoff. The squadron’s expertise in forecasting and managing launch weather conditions was on full display, ensuring the success of Crew-9’s journey to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Crew-9 mission is a scheduled rotation flight to the ISS, utilizing the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Freedom and Falcon 9 rocket. On board were NASA astronaut Nick Hague, serving as commander, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov as mission specialist. This mission marked another significant milestone, as SLC-40 was now added to the list of operational pads sending astronauts to space, alongside LC-39A and SLC-41.
Once in orbit, the Crew-9 astronauts joined Expedition 72, temporarily boosting the ISS crew count to eleven. They joined astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who had been aboard the station since June following their Boeing Starliner launch. With NASA’s decision to return the Starliner to Earth without a crew, Wilmore and Williams will return with Crew-9 in February 2025 aboard the Crew Dragon capsule.
Notably, the mission originally included astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson rounding out the 4-person crew. However, due to mission changes that required returning Wilmore and Williams to Earth on the Crew Dragon, they will be rescheduled for future flights. That meant Hague and Gorbunov had to shoulder a larger workload during the launch. During a post launch press conference, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy congratulated and thanked the NASA and SpaceX teams as well as the international partners for working together to make this a successful launch.
For me, one of the most emotional moments of the event was witnessing the astronaut walkout, a tradition where the crew exits the Operations and Checkout building to greet their families. This powerful display of the human side of space exploration underscores the courage and determination of the astronauts embarking on these missions.
After a smooth journey, Crew-9 docked with the ISS at 5:30 p.m. EDT on September 29, 2024. Now fully integrated into Expedition 72, the crew will spend the next five months conducting crucial scientific research and experiments in microgravity. Crew-9’s success is yet another testament to the strong partnership between NASA and SpaceX, driving forward humanity’s presence in space and advancing space development.
NASA Post Launch Press Conference. From left: Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator; Ken Bowersox, Associate Administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate; Dana Hutcherson, Deputy Program Manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy; Dina Contella, Deputy Manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson; Sarah Walker, Director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX. Photo by Burt Dicht.
