NASA Cuts 2 Astronauts From SpaceX Crew To Make Room For Stranded Boeing Starliner Astronauts

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from launch complex 39A carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a commercial mission

NASA has made the decision to cut two astronauts scheduled for the next SpaceX mission in order to make room for two NASA astronauts who have been stranded at the International Space Station since June, the organization stated.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson are the unfortunate pair who are going to be bumped off of the impending mission in favor of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the astronauts who have been stuck due to safety issues plaguing the Boeing Starliner capsule.

Williams and Wilmore began their mission in space on June 5^th, which was only intended to last for a few weeks, but has now turned into months as engineers continue to troubleshoot the helium leaks and thruster failures causing the delay.

Although Cardman and Wilson were removed from the mission, they are still “eligible for reassignment on a future mission,” NASA stated.

The pair got bumped in favor of astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos astronaut and mission specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov, who will accompany the SpaceX Crew-9 rescue mission in September.

The upcoming mission will be Gorbunov’s first flight, while Hague, a veteran, has been in space twice.

“While we’ve changed crew before for a variety of reasons, downsizing crew for this flight was another tough decision to adjust to given that the crew has trained as a crew of four,” stated NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba. “I have the utmost confidence in all our crew, who have been excellent throughout training for the mission.”

“Zena and Stephanie will continue to assist their crewmates ahead of launch, and they exemplify what it means to be a professional astronaut,” Acaba continued.

The mission is set to launch towards the end of September aboard a SpaceX Dragon.

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