NASA has released a sweeping investigation report into the propulsion system failures that plagued Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner during its Crewed Flight Test (CFT) last year. The report finds a cascade of hardware failures, qualification gaps, organizational breakdowns, and a culture that prioritized schedule and provider success over engineering rigor in the program.
2025 was an incredibly busy year in spaceflight, both here at the Cape and also globally. By Christmas, providers broke previous orbital launch records, with over 300 successful flights globally, largely driven by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for Starlink satellite deployments.
The Cape’s numbers for 2025:
For a complete list of 2025 launches from Florida, you can click here.
SpaceX further extended its dominance in 2025 with over 130 orbital launches across the year, the vast majority using its Falcon 9 rocket. The company continued flying at a pace unmatched by any other launch provider, supporting satellite deployments, ISS crew and cargo missions, and national security payloads in addition to continuing building out its wildly popular Starlink offering.
On October 25, 2025, SpaceX launched its 10,000th Starlink satellite. Space.com quoted noted satellite tracker Dr. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, saying that there are currently 9,357 Starlink satellites in orbit, with 9,347 in operational positions. The constellation serves over 9 million customers across 100 countries and territories. It is estimated that the company adds around 20,000 new customers daily.
Reusable boosters remain central to that success. Several Falcon 9 first stages flew 20 or more times, reinforcing the idea that rapid reuse is no longer experimental but routine. One of its boosters, B1067, has now flown 32 times and is currently at SpaceX’s facilities at the Kennedy Space Center, being refurbished for another flight. The company has publicly stated that it seeks to certify Falcon 9 boosters for up to 40 flights, and in 2025, several of the company’s boosters have fewer than ten missions remaining to meet that goal.
Starship test flights also continued launching from Texas, focusing on vehicle upgrades, heat-shield performance, and recovery techniques aimed at future missions beyond Earth orbit. The company is also continuing to build out its Boca Chica infrastructure, with a new launch pad nearing completion at the end of this year. Flights from the new facility should take place in the first part of 2026.
SpaceX also received approval to begin converting Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral for Starship operations. The site, previously used by United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV, gives SpaceX a second major East Coast launch location and points to long-term plans for higher-energy missions beyond Falcon 9.
Meanwhile, NASA, the FAA and other relevant authorities are finishing an Environmental Impact Statement for another Florida-based Starship launch pad at LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. The tower there has long been under construction, with work continuing apace at that facility in addition to the new pad a few miles south at SLC-37.
SpaceX has stated that its goal is to launch from the Cape in 2026.
SpaceX has also begun construction of a new “Gigabay” facility for Starship at its Roberts Road site at Kennedy Space Center. That facility is large — not quite the size of the venerable VAB, but large nonetheless — and should be completed in 2026.
After years of development, Blue Origin reached orbit for the first time with the debut launch of its New Glenn rocket in 2025. Flying from LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the successful flight validated the vehicle’s core systems and marked the company’s entry into the heavy-lift orbital launch market.
NG-1, Blue’s mission designation for the debut flight, also had a tertiary goal of landing the New Glenn first stage, but that effort was unsuccessful. The payload reached its target orbit, however, making the flight a rousing success for a company long discounted by many in the space community.
Momentum continued on New Glenn’s second launch, when Blue Origin successfully landed its reusable first-stage booster on its recovery ship ‘Jacklyn’. The recovery showed that the company’s emphasis on reusability was now operational and not theoretical, and it positioned New Glenn as a serious competitor in the heavy-lift category.
Notably, Blue’s second New Glenn flight was much smoother than the debut. This was an expected improvement, but it clearly showed that Blue had taken the lessons learned from NG-1 to heart, made operational improvements, and applied them to the NG-2 flight.
2025 also saw Blue Origin significantly advancing its Blue Origin Blue Moon lunar lander program, as it continued preparing its Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander for its first demo mission to deliver payloads to the lunar South Pole, presumably on the New Glenn NG-3 flight in early 2026.
Plans to reuse ‘Never Tell Me the Odds’, the booster used for the NG-2 flight, on NG-3. If successful, Blue Origin will achieve landing and then reusing a booster in relatively quick succession.
Blue is continuing development of its second lunar lander, Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2). While they have made few public statements on the status and progress of the project, it is believed that they are building a flight-capable cabin for testing and crew training for the larger MK2, one of two of NASA’s selected crewed landers. Additionally, Blue is said to be working on life support, thermal control, and docking systems for MK2. Undoubtedly, the results from the MK1 mission will greatly inform the future designs of MK2.
Finally, Blue Origin created a new internal group focusing on national security missions for the US Government, and to run it they hired ULA’s CEO, Tory Bruno.
2026 was a transitional year for United Launch Alliance, and one that has many observers wondering about the company’s long-term prospects, especially now that their former leader, Tory Bruno, has left to work for the competition.
One one hand, the company has an estimated 70 launches backlogged, with the majority being LEO satellites for Amazon’s Leo telecommunications constellation. On the other, Vulcan has been slow to build any cadence, with August 2025 being the last launch and NET March 2026 for its next flight. That’s not going to trim the backlog appreciably.
The reasons go back to last year: October of 2024, Vulcan’s second flight, CERT-2 saw one of its solid rocket boosters (SRB) nozzles detach due to a manufacturing defect in the nozzle’s internal insulator, causing an off-nominal burn. However, the main engines compensated, kept the rocket on course, and the mission still achieved its orbital goals. The company and Northrop Grumman conducted an investigation to identify the issue and prevent any recurrence.
That took several months and most of ULA’s inertia but the company continued to soldier on with other missions while it waited for the results and corrections to Vulcan.
In written testimony to Congress in May 2025, Major General Stephen G. Purdy stated the Vulcan program had performed “unsatisfactorily“ over the past year. He noted that “major issues with the Vulcan have overshadowed its successful certification,” directly resulting in the grounding of four national security missions.
Due to Vulcan’s delays, the original 60/40 mission split favoring ULA under the NSSL Phase 2 contract shifted closer to 54/46 (or nearly 50/50) in 2025, as more missions were awarded or reassigned to SpaceX. Now, Blue Origin is also in the competition future NSSL launches, with Blue expected to complete NSSL Certification next year. SpaceX isn’t going anywhere either, leaving ULA walking a tightwire in the coming year.
On August 13, 2025, ULA successfully launched its first national security mission for the U.S. Space Force using a Vulcan VC4S. The mission deployed NTS-3, an experimental navigation satellite designed to enhance GPS resilience and was a complete success.
With its Delta family retired, ULA successfully conducted four major launches for Amazon’s broadband constellation (Project Kuiper, now Amazon Leo) using Atlas V rockets. All of those missions were textbook perfect, as has been customary for the rocket.
ULA is planning to increase its launch cadence in 2026, and has all but completed a second launch tower and vertical integration facility for Vulcan.
Finally, close to the Christmas holiday, ULA announced that CEO Tory Bruno had resigned “to pursue another opportunity.” For Bruno, that opportunity turned out to be leading Blue Origin’s new National Security Group, where he will ostensibly be competing with his old company for lucrative USSL launches. At Blue Origin, Bruno will have a reusable rocket system in hand, while ULA will compete with its Vulcan rocket and the vast depth of experience the company has on its resume.
ULA COO John Elbon was named as the Interim CEO in a press release issued today. John Elbon is the chief operating officer for United Launch Alliance (ULA). Before his new role, Elbon was responsible for the operations of the Atlas, Delta, and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle programs, including design, engineering, integration, production, quality assurance, and program management.
Previously, Elbon served as vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Commercial Programs. In that position, Elbon managed Boeing’s efforts on NASA’s Commercial Crew Space Act Agreements, including the first two phases of the Commercial Crew Development, which for Boeing was the Starliner CST program.
In 2025, Rocket Lab completed 21 Electron launches, maintaining one of the highest success rates in the small-satellite market and continuing to serve commercial, civil, and national security customers. Electron missions flew from both New Zealand and Virginia, reinforcing Rocket Lab’s value as a responsive, geographically flexible company.
At the same time, much of Rocket Lab’s strategic focus shifted toward the future with continued development of Neutron, its upcoming medium-lift, partially reusable rocket. Throughout 2025, the company advanced engine testing, structural manufacturing, and launch infrastructure work at Wallops Island, Virginia.
While Neutron did not fly during the year as the company had expected, visible progress signaled Rocket Lab’s intent to move beyond small payloads and compete for larger commercial constellations and U.S. government missions later in the decade.
Beyond launch vehicles, Rocket Lab also expanded its space systems business, delivering spacecraft components, solar panels, and complete satellites to a growing customer base.
Rocket Lab’s share price rose sharply in 2025, with investors seeing significant gains in their positions.
Taken together, 2025 was not a year of dramatic firsts for Rocket Lab, but one of consolidation and preparation — proving it could sustain a high launch tempo today while methodically building the capability to play a much bigger role in the launch market of the future.
The year was marked by layoffs, with uncertainty and dread a prevalent mood for many at the agency as the new presidential budget called for drastic cuts in NASA’s science programs.
The year also saw a great deal of preparation for a return to the Moon under Artemis, a major anniversary for the International Space Station, and visible progress in science, aviation, and artificial intelligence. It was also a year of leadership change, with private-space veteran Jared Isaacman nominated and later confirmed to a senior NASA leadership role, signaling closer alignment between the agency and the commercial space sector.
The year set the tone for a decade defined by sustained activity rather than isolated milestones.
Lunar exploration remained a central focus. NASA continued methodical preparations for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since Apollo, completing the stacking of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft and running dozens of mission simulations to stress-test procedures and crew timelines. At the same time, the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program delivered tangible results.
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One achieved a successful lunar landing in early March, while Intuitive Machines’ second Nova-C lander reached the surface days later, gathering data despite landing on its side. Together, the missions reinforced NASA’s strategy of using commercial partners to deliver science and technology to the Moon more frequently and at lower cost.
Beyond the Moon, NASA continued expanding its deep-space science portfolio. In November, the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft were launched toward Mars to investigate how the planet’s weak magnetic environment interacts with the solar wind, a key factor in understanding how Mars lost much of its atmosphere. Planning for future lunar surface science also advanced when Blue Origin was selected to deliver the VIPER rover to the Moon’s south pole later in the decade, keeping the agency’s search for water ice on track.
Space science and Earth observation saw several high-profile missions reach orbit in 2025. In March, NASA launched the SPHEREx space telescope to conduct an all-sky infrared survey while also deploying the PUNCH mission to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere and the origins of the solar wind.
Over the summer, the NISAR satellite, a joint mission with India’s ISRO, lifted off to provide unprecedented radar mapping of Earth’s ice sheets, forests, and changing landscapes. Astronomers also turned their attention outward as NASA coordinated global observations of 3I/ATLAS, only the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system.
Closer to home, the Lucy spacecraft added another successful asteroid flyby to its mission, passing 52246 Donaldjohanson and returning detailed images that will help refine models of early solar system formation.
Human spaceflight milestones were just as prominent aboard the International Space Station. In November, the ISS marked 25 consecutive years of continuous human presence in orbit, a milestone that underscored its role as a testbed for long-duration missions beyond Earth.
Earlier in the year, astronaut Suni Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalk time by a woman, reflecting both the station’s ongoing maintenance demands and the growing experience of its crews. Williams had the opportunity to mark that achievement because she and Butch Wilmore were part of the ill-fated Boeing CFT mission that launched in 2024 and led to an unexpected nine-month stay on station. The Boeing CFT astronauts joined Crew 9, which launched in September 2024 and landed in the Pacific Ocean on March 18, 2025.
Logistics capabilities also expanded with the arrival of Northrop Grumman’s first Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, which delivered larger payloads and increased flexibility for station resupply. SpaceX provided the lift for Cygnus, as Northrop Grumman has yet to complete development of a new Antares 300-series replacement.
NASA also made visible progress in aviation and emerging technologies. The X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft completed its long-awaited first flight in October, validating a design meant to dramatically reduce sonic booms and potentially reopen the door to commercial supersonic travel over land.
In materials science, the agency’s heat-resistant superalloy GRX-810 earned recognition as NASA’s 2025 Commercial Invention of the Year, highlighting work aimed at improving engines and structures for extreme environments.
Taken together, 2025 was less about a single headline mission and more about steady progress across many fronts. NASA strengthened its lunar pipeline, celebrated a quarter-century of continuous human spaceflight, launched major new science missions, and laid the groundwork for how future exploration will be managed and analyzed. They also got a new administrator after a tumultuous nomination process. Jared Isaacman will bring many new ideas and changes to the agency, changes that will hopefully rejuvenate and reinvigorate the US space program.
In 2025, Sierra Space moved its Dream Chaser program through a series of important ground milestones while also reworking its near-term flight plans. The spaceplane, named Tenacity, completed extensive pre-flight testing, including electromagnetic compatibility checks and runway tow trials, clearing several technical hurdles ahead of flight. That flight, planned for 2024, will now take place in 2026. Maybe.
The program’s first mission was significantly reshaped. What was initially planned as a cargo run to the International Space Station was revised into a standalone orbital demonstration, now targeted for late 2026. NASA amended its contract with Sierra Space, removing guaranteed ISS delivery missions as the company redirected more attention toward defense and national security work.
As a result, Tenacity’s debut will focus on proving core flight and reentry capabilities rather than docking operations. The change reflects both development challenges and the additional certification steps required for ISS missions. While near-term station flights are no longer assured, Dream Chaser could still play a role in future logistics, including potential cargo deliveries to commercial space stations such as Orbital Reef, once the vehicle completes its initial orbital testing.
In 2025, Relativity Space entered a new phase after a major leadership shakeup. In March, Eric Schmidt stepped in as chief executive following a substantial investment in the company. Under his leadership, Relativity moved away from its earlier goal of fully 3D-printed rockets, adopting a more pragmatic hybrid manufacturing strategy while accelerating development of its larger, reusable Terran R launch vehicle.
Schmidt is a former Google
Stoke Space, the Kent, Washington, company founded by former Blue Origin and SpaceX employees, had a good 2025, making major progress toward the first launch of its Nova rocket.
Rockets need launch pads, and Stoke has rebuilt SLC-14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to modern standards for Nova. This is no small accomplishment, and on top of that, Stoke was respectful of the history of 14: this is where John Glenn launched in Mercury-Atlas 6, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.
As for Nova itself, work is focused on final hardware qualification as the company simultaneously activates SLC-14. Stoke had previously planned for a 2025 debut of Nova, but mid-year, the company shifted to the right on the launch calendar in order to complete SLC-14 and to iron out any remaining issues with Nova.
The 40.2-meter (132-foot) tall rocket is expected to fly in the early part of next year. Stoke is also planning to slowly introduce reusability, so expect the first launch to be expendable.
In 2025 Boeing welcomed a new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, previously the president and CEO of Rockwell Collins. Ortberg promised major changes throughout the company, including its spaceflight division.
In November 2025, NASA reduced Boeing’s Commercial Crew contract from six planned missions to the International Space Station (ISS) down to four. This followed technical issues during the 2024 crewed flight test that necessitated the astronauts’ return on a SpaceX vehicle in early 2025. The next mission for Starliner will be uncrewed and carrying cargo, but no date for that mission has been announced.
The news was not all bad for Boeing: their autonomous X-37B spaceplane continued its eighth mission, conducting long-duration orbital experiments as well as novel orbital maneuvers that can quickly place the spacecraft in a new orbit very quickly. In the quickly militarizing orbital environment, this is a tactical advantage yet to be demonstrated by any other nation.
Boeing also continued working on the SLS core stage. It’s Artemis II hardware is in the VAB awaiting rollout and at the time of this writing, the core stage for Artemis III is in an advanced state of manufacturing. After that, it is difficult to tell if the SLS rocket will be canceled by NASA and the Trump administration or if Boeing and others will continue manufacturing the rocket.
Taken overall, the year was an incredibly exciting one, but also one that sets the stage for the future: in 2026 humans will return to cislunar space and further development for landing on the lunar surface will continue apace. Vast Space is planning to launch Vast-1, the first privately owned and operated space station in LEO. We’ll also see SpaceX passing 10,000 Starlink satellites on orbit at some point in 2026, along with Amazon’s nascent Leo constellation starting to take form. There will be new rockets making their debut, and in between, lot of launches, especially Falcon 9 launches.
Stay tuned.
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NASA and SpaceX are finalizing preparations for the launch of Crew-11, the next long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS), currently targeted for Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 12:09 PM ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew members arrived yesterday at KSC, and are undergoing their final preparations for Wednesday’s launch.
The mission will send four astronauts to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, flying the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft on its sixth voyage to orbit. The launch marks the eleventh operational crew rotation flight under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Should weather or technical issues delay the liftoff, NASA and SpaceX have identified Thursday, August 1, as the primary backup launch opportunity, with a similar afternoon launch window.
At the helm of Crew-11 is NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, making her first journey into space. Selected by NASA in 2017, Cardman holds degrees in biology and marine science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to her astronaut career, she conducted research in microbial ecology and geobiology—skills that align closely with her role in conducting biological experiments on the ISS.
Seated beside Cardman in the pilot’s chair is veteran astronaut Mike Fincke. A retired U.S. Air Force colonel and flight test engineer, Fincke has already logged more than 381 days in space across two ISS expeditions and one space shuttle mission. He has also completed nine spacewalks.
Originally assigned to the Boeing Starliner program, Fincke was the backup astronaut attached the the Crew Flight Test of Starliner that resulted in the unexpectedly long stay aboard ISS for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
Finke was reassigned to Crew-11 after the return of Starliner, and commercial crew schedule adjustments were made thanks to delays introduced by the CFT problems. His experience provides invaluable backup for the relatively newer members of the team, and his familiarity with long-duration spaceflight is expected to be critical in managing station operations and mentoring the crew aboard.
JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui returns to orbit for his second flight, having previously served aboard the ISS in 2015 during Expedition 44/45. Yui, a former fighter pilot in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, was instrumental in setting up Japan’s Kibo laboratory module during his first mission. On Crew-11, he’ll continue that legacy by supporting international science initiatives and representing Japan’s contributions to the station’s operations.
Rounding out the crew is Oleg Platonov, a first-time space traveler from Russia’s Roscosmos agency. Platonov, an aerospace engineer and former Air Force officer, was initially scheduled to fly on a Soyuz mission but joined Crew-11 under a seat-swap agreement between NASA and Roscosmos.
Despite political tensions on Earth, Platonov’s role highlights the ongoing collaboration between the United States and Russia in maintaining the ISS as a platform for peaceful international science and exploration.
Once aboard the ISS, the crew will take part in Expeditions 73 and 74, diving into hundreds of research projects ranging from plant biology to space manufacturing to human health in microgravity. The mission also serves as preparation for the Artemis program, as NASA continues to build systems and experience for future lunar missions.
Dragon Endeavour, making its sixth flight, adds another chapter to its legacy as the most frequently reused crew spacecraft in NASA’s current fleet. If all goes according to plan, Crew-11 will return to Earth in April 2026 with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
NASA and Boeing are advancing the certification process for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft following its Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station (ISS). Joint teams are addressing in-flight anomalies and planning propulsion system tests in preparation for Starliner’s upcoming missions.
Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft encountered several technical challenges that impacted the mission:
These challenges prompted NASA and Boeing to conduct thorough investigations and implement corrective measures to ensure the spacecraft’s safety and reliability for future missions.
Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for Space Operations, emphasized the importance of commercial partnerships: “NASA’s strategy for crew transportation is critical for assured access to space using American private industry.”
He further noted, “Our investment in commercial crew transportation capabilities is providing the needed flexibility to operate in space as safely as possible and respond to changes quickly when they arise. NASA is seeing the commitment from Boeing to adding the Starliner system to the nation’s crew transportation base.”
Since the uncrewed Starliner capsule’s return from the ISS, NASA and Boeing have analyzed post-flight data. Over 70% of flight observations and in-flight anomalies have been addressed at program-level control boards. Major in-flight propulsion system anomalies are expected to remain under review into 2025, pending outcomes of ground testing and potential system upgrades.
The agencies are finalizing the scope and timelines for propulsion system test campaigns and analyses scheduled for spring and summer. Testing at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico will include integrated firing of key Starliner thrusters within a single service module doghouse. This aims to validate thermal models and inform potential propulsion and spacecraft thermal protection system upgrades.
Operational solutions under consideration involve adding thermal barriers within the doghouse to better regulate temperatures and modifying thruster pulse profiles in flight to prevent overheating. Concurrently, teams are testing new helium system seal options to mitigate the risk of future leaks.
Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, commented on the testing schedule: “Once we get through these planned test campaigns, we will have a better idea of when we can go fly the next Boeing flight.” He added, “We’ll continue to work through certification toward the end of this year and then go figure out where Starliner fits best in the schedule for the International Space Station and its crew and cargo missions. It is likely to be in the timeframe of late this calendar year or early next year for the next Starliner flight.”
Mission managers are planning for the next Starliner flight to be a crew-capable post-certification mission. However, NASA retains the flexibility to fly only cargo, depending on the agency’s needs.
One person that will not be a part of the next Starliner flight is Boeing Starliner CFT backup astronaut Mike Fincke. He has been assigned to Crew 11 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
What a long, strange trip it’s been: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally concluded their never-ending story of Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test of Starliner yesterday when they landed in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in the Gulf of America near Tallahassee, Florida. Also aboard were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with the four of them designated as Crew 9 on ISS Expedition 71/72.
After a nominal re-entry, the four landed at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Recovery teams on SpaceX vessels secured the spacecraft and assisted the crew while being circled by curious dolphins. Following their arrival on shore, the astronauts began the return procedures: extensive medical checks followed by travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for debriefings and reunions with their families.
Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission was as an 8-10 day demonstration flight for Starliner to validate its capabilities in transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. However, technical concerns, including issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, led NASA to opt for an uncrewed return of Starliner to conduct further testing and modifications before operational flights could commence.
For their part, Boeing disagreed with the decision, with the company arguing internally with NASA that Starliner was safe to ferry Williams and Williams back to Earth as planned. That was not to be, as NASA decided to fold the pair into Expedition 71/72 on ISS, and to bump two of the astronauts designated for Crew 9 — NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson — from the mission.
Starliner would eventually return to Earth uncrewed in September, 2024, safely completing its mission via remote control and on-board programming.
During their missions, Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 Earth orbits. Hague and Gorbunov covered 72,553,920 miles, remained in orbit for 171 days, and completed 2,736 orbits. This mission marked Gorbunov’s first spaceflight. Hague has accumulated 374 days in space across two missions, Williams 608 days over three missions, and Wilmore 464 days across three flights.
Due to the unexpected long-term mission, Williams is now in second place for time spent in space by a female astronaut. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson has accumulated a total of 675 days in space across multiple missions, making her the most experienced astronaut in terms of cumulative days, a record that Whitson will add to she commands the private Axiom Ax-4 mission to ISS later this year.
Crew-9’s mission included scientific research, maintenance operations, and technology demonstrations. Williams performed two spacewalks, partnering with Wilmore and Hague to remove a radio frequency antenna, collect external surface samples, and install protective patches on an X-ray telescope’s light filters. Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the station.
The crew conducted over 150 scientific studies and technology tests, dedicating more than 900 hours to research. Their work included plant growth experiments, stem cell technology investigations for treating blood disorders and cancer, and evaluations of circadian rhythm-supporting lighting systems. They also launched the first wooden satellite and studied microorganism survival in space by analyzing external samples from the station.
The mission marked the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, previously used for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 and Axiom Missions 2 and 3. Following retrieval, the spacecraft will undergo inspections and refurbishments at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in preparation for future missions.
Crew-9’s comes shortly after the launch and docking at ISS of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10, which completed the Crew 9 rotation. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers; JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will now spend several months aboard Station, and will advance the scientific and engineering work planned for their stay.
The long journey of Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and the Boeing Starliner mission is finally near its end: If everything goes according to plan, one of the most talked about journeys in American spaceflight will come to an end with a splashdown tomorrow evening somewhere off the coast of Florida.
NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams are set to return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, concluding an unexpectedly extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The deorbit burn is scheduled for approximately 5:11 p.m. EDT, with splashdown anticipated around 5:57 p.m. EDT off the coast of Florida.
Wilmore and Williams launched to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, initially slated for what was described an eight-day mission. However, technical issues with the Starliner, including thruster malfunctions and a helium system leak, rendered it unsafe for their return. Consequently, the spacecraft returned to Earth uncrewed, leaving the astronauts on Station for an extended period.
As a result of the unexpected issues with Starliner, NASA chose to add Wilmore and Williams to the ISS Expedition 71/72 roster. Both astronauts remained active and engaged throughout their prolonged mission, contributing significantly to the station’s objectives, with Williams taking command of ISS itself during her stay. The pair participated in over 150 experiments and observed various Earth phenomena from their unique vantage point. Despite the unforeseen extension, both maintained a positive outlook and never publicly complained about their unexpectedly long mission.
SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, launched on September 28, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 40. This mission was notable for being the first crewed launch from this particular complex. The Crew-9 spacecraft, named Freedom, carried NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS, leaving behind NASA’s three-time space shuttle astronaut Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman, with both being reassigned to unspecified future missions.
For its part, Crew 9 also experienced several delays prior to launch, primarily due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft and scheduling conflicts with other missions on ISS. Originally planned for mid-August 2024, the launch was postponed to late September to accommodate these challenges.
The arrival of SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission on March 16, 2025, marked a significant milestone in facilitating the return of Wilmore and Williams. The Crew-10 spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, successfully docked with the ISS, allowing for a seamless transition of responsibilities.
The docking occurred at 12:04 a.m. EDT, followed by hatch opening at 1:35 a.m. EDT. The new crew members were warmly welcomed aboard, with the station’s population temporarily increasing to 11. This handover period ensured continuity of operations and allowed Wilmore and Williams to brief their replacements before their departure.
Following the arrival of Crew-10, preparations for the return of Wilmore and Williams intensified. The Crew-9 spacecraft underwent thorough checks to ensure its readiness for re-entry and landing. Both astronauts expressed cautious excitement about returning home, acknowledging the inherent risks associated with re-entry but also their eagerness to reunite with family and resume life on Earth.
The extended stay of Wilmore and Williams garnered attention beyond the aerospace community. Public figures, including former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, commented on the situation, with Musk referring to the upcoming return mission as a “rescue” operation.
However, both NASA and the astronauts refuted the notion that they were stranded in space or abandoned, emphasizing that their extended stay was a result of technical challenges and not political decisions. This set off a political firestorm, the intensity of which is rarely seen that involves spaceflight and NASA.
As the deorbit burn approaches, scheduled for approximately 5:11 p.m. EDT, mission teams are closely monitoring weather conditions and spacecraft systems to ensure a safe re-entry and landing. The splashdown is anticipated around 5:57 p.m. EDT off the coast of Florida, where recovery teams will be stationed to assist the returning astronauts.
In a press release today, NASA said that they and SpaceX met on Sunday, March 16th, to assess weather and splashdown conditions off Florida’s coast for the return of the agency’s Crew-9 mission from the International Space Station. Mission managers are targeting an earlier Crew-9 return opportunity based on favorable conditions forecasted for the evening of Tuesday, March 18. The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week.
NASA will provide live coverage of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 return to Earth from the International Space Station, beginning with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT Monday, March 17.
The successful end of the Crew 9 astronauts will finally end a long and controversial mission, and one that NASA surely hopes will never be repeated.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed a 6.5 hour EVA outside the International Space Station today. During the event, Suni Williams became the record-holder for the most accumulated time by a woman for spacewalks. Williams now has 62 hours, 6 minutes of total spacewalk time. She is fourth on NASA’s all-time list as well.
The two astronauts are, of course, part of the current political kerfuffle surrounding their stay on ISS, when they were assigned to ISS Expedition 71/72 after it was decided to return their Starliner capsule home uncrewed thanks to technical concerns about the Boeing spacecraft.
During their pair’s EVA, Williams surpassed former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson’s total spacewalking time of 60 hours and 21 minutes.
The former record holder posted her congratulations today on X.com:
While outside ISS, the Williams and Wilmore performed work to remove an antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collected samples of surface material for analysis from the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock to see whether microorganisms exist on the exterior of ISS, and they also prepared a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
The pair are set to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in late March or early April. Currently, Crew 10 is slated to launch on March 24th, and after a handoff period Crew 9 will return to Earth with Williams and Wilmore aboard a Crew Dragon.
After they joined Expedition’s 71/72 crew, the plan was to bring them home in February, but delays in SpaceX’s completing and qualifying a new Dragon capsule that will be used for the mission forced NASA to further extend the length of their unexpected stay in space.
NASA’s Commercial Crew office released its high-level plan for 2025 today. It has few surprises, with two SpaceX Commercial Crew missions, and offers the slightest of updates for Boeing’s Starliner program and holds out the possibility of a Starliner flight next year.
Crew-10
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is scheduled for February 2025.
NASA Astronaut Anne McClain will be the mission commander, NASA Astronaut Nichole Ayers will be the pilot mission specialists JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will be the mission specialists. This mission will be the second spaceflight for McClain and Onishi, and the first for Ayers and Peskov.
Crew-11
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 is targeted for no earlier than July of next year, but that may be adjusted because of operational needs — resupply missions on docking ports, etc. NASA will announce the four-person crew at a later date.
There is speculation that the two members of Crew-9 who were taken off the flight to accommodate Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight Test astronauts will be assigned to this flight, but at this point in time, that is just rumor and has no basis in official facts released by the agency.
Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman were deep into the training cycle for the Crew-9, which presumably gives them a headstart. Still, ultimately, Chief of the Astronaut Office Joe Acaba and other NASA officials will make the call. When that information will be released to the public is unknown.
Here is where today’s release gets really interesting: NASA says that, “The timing and configuration of Starliner’s next flight will be determined once a better understanding of Boeing’s path to system certification is established. This determination will include considerations for incorporating Crew Flight Test lessons learned, approvals of final certification products, and operational readiness.”
“Meanwhile, NASA is keeping options on the table for how best to achieve system certification, including windows of opportunity for a potential Starliner flight in 2025.”
To fly in 2025, Boeing and its contractors will need to fix the issues that dogged the Crewed Flight Test this year, namely overheating thrusters, helium leaks, and potentially degraded seals (this was seen in ground testing during the investigations of Starliner CFT).
To do that, Boeing and NASA engineers must finalize their data analyses if they still need to do so. From there, Boeing and its subcontractors can begin designing and fabricating any hardware changes and qualifying those for human spaceflight. Externally, Boeing seems optimistic that they can do those things in 2025. Whether that happens remains to be seen, given that aerospace projects are often delayed.
In anticipation of the uncrewed return of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station (ISS), NASA held a pre-departure briefing on Wednesday, September 4, from its Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The briefing featured Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Dana Weigel, manager of the ISS at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and ISS Flight Director Anthony Vareha. The officials shared critical updates and a refined timeline for Starliner’s return mission to Earth, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 6.
NASA’s Steve Stich outlined the step-by-step process for Starliner’s return to Earth. The sequence of events will begin approximately 45 minutes before the spacecraft undocks from the ISS, when a “go/no-go” poll will be conducted, factoring in conditions at the designated landing site in White Sands, New Mexico. Once cleared, undocking is expected at 6:04 p.m. EDT, with springs instantly pushing the spacecraft away from the ISS.
A short thruster burn will follow 30 seconds later, designed to further separate Starliner from the ISS. At approximately 11:17 p.m. EDT, the spacecraft will execute a de-orbit burn lasting around 60 seconds, setting it on course for re-entry. The spacecraft is expected to touch down at the White Sands landing site at 12:04 a.m. EDT on Saturday, September 7, roughly six hours after undocking.
While this return mission will be uncrewed, NASA says it will still gather critical data simulating a crewed flight. The spacecraft is outfitted with accelerometers and sensors in the seats that will measure forces akin to those experienced by astronauts during re-entry and landing. Additionally, the interior of Starliner will record environmental data, such as pressure and temperature fluctuations, which will be vital for evaluating the vehicle’s performance and safety.
NASA has scheduled a post-landing press conference to take place at approximately 1:30 a.m. EDT, offering a chance to assess the spacecraft’s return and discuss any pertinent findings from the mission.
Given the inherent unpredictability of New Mexico’s weather, NASA has prepared contingency dates in case poor weather—such as strong winds or rain—interferes with the planned landing. Backup opportunities are spaced four days apart, providing flexibility to ensure safe touchdown conditions.
An interesting logistical challenge has emerged as the Starliner saga has unfolded the space suits designed for astronauts aboard different spacecraft. The Boeing suits that were worn by NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams during their ride up to the ISS will return to Earth with the uncrewed Starliner. However, Boeing’s space suits are incompatible with SpaceX spacecraft.
To address this, NASA has provided Wilmore and Williams with SpaceX suits for their planned return to Earth aboard the Crew-9 mission, scheduled for late February or early March 2025. Williams has already tested one of the SpaceX suits currently aboard the ISS, confirming a proper fit. Meanwhile, a second suit will be sent up to the ISS on a future Crew-9 resupply mission for Wilmore.
NASA also confirmed that, in case of an emergency, Wilmore and Williams could be evacuated aboard Crew-8 in the cargo pallet area. However, they would not have access to space suits in this scenario, which raises additional safety concerns.
Since their arrival aboard the ISS, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have conducted at least 42 scientific experiments, dedicating over 100 hours to research. Their work spans a wide range of disciplines, helping to advance knowledge in areas such as biology, physics, and space technologies. Additionally, they have maintained a rigorous schedule of physical fitness, incorporating resistance training and cardio exercises to counteract the physical toll of extended periods in microgravity.
Both astronauts are reported to be in excellent health and spirits, frequently staying in touch with their families through NASA’s robust communication network. Their stay aboard the ISS will continue until their return with Crew-9 next year.
A potential concern involves one of Starliner’s thrusters, which NASA suspects may not be fully operational. Fortunately, the spacecraft is equipped with 21 other functioning thrusters, providing redundancy and ensuring Starliner can safely complete its mission.
NASA also discussed Starliner’s future certification plans. Originally, Boeing had planned for another Starliner mission in February 2025. However, due to technical issues and delays, that mission has now been postponed to August 2025. This additional time will allow NASA and Boeing to address any outstanding concerns, ensure that Starliner meets all necessary safety requirements, and improve its operational capabilities for future crewed missions.
As Boeing and NASA continue to collaborate on refining the Starliner program, the upcoming uncrewed return will serve as a critical milestone. While the spacecraft’s journey back to Earth lacks astronauts on board, it represents a significant test of Starliner’s systems, readiness, and overall capability. The data gathered from this mission will inform future crewed flights, solidifying Starliner’s place as a key player in NASA’s commercial spaceflight program.
With an eye toward 2025 and beyond, Boeing and NASA are working diligently to ensure that Starliner can eventually operate as a reliable transportation system for astronauts. Despite the delays and challenges, the program remains an integral part of NASA’s broader vision for commercial partnerships and the future of human space exploration.
Note: Article was originally published by Florida Media Now and was written by Jim Siegel. It is shared here with permission.
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