NASA Bumps 2 from SpaceX Flight to Make Room for Astronauts Stuck in Space

NASA announced on Friday that it will bump two crew members from its upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The agency said the reason for the decision was to make room for the safe return of two astronauts currently stranded aboard the space station.
Astronauts Nick Hague from NASA and Aleksandr Gorbunov from Russia are now scheduled to launch in September aboard a SpaceX rocket bound for the ISS.
Their return trip, slated for February, will include NASA veterans Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. Williams and Wilmore have been stationed at the ISS since June.
However, NASA determined that it would be too risky for them to return to earth in their Boeing Starliner capsule, which has been experiencing persistent issues, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks.
As a result of this decision, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, who were originally scheduled to be part of the September mission, have been removed from the flight.
NASA officials have reassured that both Cardman and Wilson will be assigned to future missions, indicating that their expertise will still be utilized in upcoming space endeavors.
The space agency clarified that several factors were considered in making this decision, with spaceflight experience being a key criterion. The goal was to ensure the safest possible return for the astronauts currently in orbit.
Since the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, the United States relied on Russian spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the ISS until SpaceX began conducting crewed missions in 2020.
Despite geopolitical tensions, the collaboration between the U.S. and Russia in space has continued with the two countries regularly trading seats on each other’s spacecraft. In an upcoming exchange, NASA’s Don Pettit will head to the ISS, while Tracy Dyson is scheduled to return to Earth aboard a Russian capsule.
NASA’s decision to partner with private companies like SpaceX over a decade ago was part of a broader strategic effort to foster competition and ensure that the U.S. had multiple options for transporting astronauts in the post-shuttle era.
Williams and Wilmore, who were part of Boeing’s inaugural crew, originally arrived at the ISS in June for what was intended to be a short stay. However, due to the technical issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, it is now considered unsafe for human transport. The capsule is scheduled to return to Earth empty as early as September 6 with a planned landing in the New Mexico desert.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.