NASA narrows Crew-9 lineup to accommodate astronauts aboard ISS By Reuters

(Reuters) – NASA said on Friday it will replace two crew members on an upcoming SpaceX flight to accommodate the two International Space Station astronauts who arrived on Boeing’s (NYSE: ) malfunctioning Starliner capsule.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will replace Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson on the SpaceX mission.

Last week, NASA officials deemed problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system too risky to bring its first crew home as planned, dealing a major blow to Boeing’s struggling space program.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, originally slated to launch four astronauts to the ISS on August 18, had its mission, called Crew-9, rescheduled by NASA for “no earlier than” September 24.

Cardman, originally selected as mission commander, and Wilson, the mission specialist, remain eligible for reassignment to future missions, NASA said in a statement.

Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue as part of the crew and fly back with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.

Haga, originally assigned as pilot, will now take over as commander, while Gorbunov will retain his role as mission specialist, the space agency said.

NASA’s decision to enlist Boeing’s main space rival SpaceX to return astronauts marks another setback for the US plane maker and is one of NASA’s most significant decisions in recent years.

Boeing has pinned its space hopes on the success of the Starliner test mission, hoping to redeem the troubled program after years of development challenges.