NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9/Flight Day 1 Highlights - Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024

Commander Nick Hague is a Colonel on active duty with the U.S. Space Force.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Pre-Launch News Conference - YouTube

Topics include:effect of radiation exposure on plants and humans,astrophysics,meteorology,heat shield viability,space paint (heat exposure),Eastern Range,Europa Clipper mission (moon of Jupiter study) to be launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket.The launch is slated for 10 OCT 2024. Astrophysics:with Jennifer Buchli,Chief Scientist NASA ISS Program-The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) is an X-ray telescope mounted on the ISS exterior,but some of the original shielding was damaged,affecting daytime observation.At present,only nightime observation is viable,so a spacewalk will be used to augment the shielding.Neutron stars are glowing embers left behind after a supernova explosion.They are the densest objects in the universe.There is a 55% chance of launching the Crew-9 mission in the Crew Dragon spacecraft on SEPT 28 2024.Why aren't Hague and Gorbunov at the news conference?They are in quarantine.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Crew Arrival at NASA Kennedy Space Center - YouTube

NASA Commander Nick Hague and Roscosmos Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived at NASA Kennedy Space Center on 21 SEPT 2024 to make final preparations for their launch from the new Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station no sooner than 26 SEPT 2024.They have a special responsibility in that they will rescue NASA Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Sunni" Williams from the ISS as their Boeing CST-100 Starliner space craft was deemed unsafe for their return to Earth.The rescue will be in February 2025.The new launch site will give NASA more flexibility over having just the one facility for human spaceflight at NASA Kennedy Space Center,Space Launch Complex 39a.