
(https://x.com/dpoddolphinpro/status/1821244018866507968)Roundup of today's NASA (https://x.com/NASA) Teleconference about Space Station (https://x.com/Space_Station) Operations and BoeingSpace (https://x.com/BoeingSpace)'s Starliner CFT mission:
Crew-9
- NASA has set up the Crew-9 Dragon to have the flexibility to launch with 2 astronauts, and return with 4 in Feb 2025; SpaceX Suits for Butch & Suni are ready, SpaceX Seats for Butch & Suni are ready.
- However, the Crew-9 contingency has not been “formally” enabled yet.
- Steve Stich would not say which 2 astronauts would not fly on Crew-9 at this time.
- They have another contingency to allow 3 crew members on the Crew-8 cargo pallet if they need to undock Starliner autonomously prior to the arrival of Crew-9 - which would leave Butch & Suni without their spacecraft accessible as a Safe Haven.
Starliner CFT
- Ken Bowersox and Dana Weigel would not say which vehicle for Butch & Suni's return they’re leaning towards right now as “it could change drastically” over time.
- NASA could certify Starliner for operational crewed missions without bringing Butch & Suni back onboard the vehicle, pending data reviews of the thruster/helium issues.
- The Starliner software is the same whether crewed or uncrewed. What needs to be updated is a “specific set of mission parameters”. NASA calls those Mission Data Loads.
July SpaceX Task Order
- The SpaceX Task Order in July was for a contingency where Tracy Caldwell Dyson would return on Dragon, and not Soyuz MS-25. Similar to Frank Rubio & Soyuz MS-22.
Fleet Management
- Crew-9’s Falcon Booster is now going to be flying on a Starlink mission prior to Crew-9, because of the 1 month slip.
Source: RT (https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1821246358860513634) @dpoddolphinpro (https://x.com/dpoddolphinpro/status/1821246358860513634)