The Crew 9 mission, which launched in September, has only two astronauts on board. Wilmore and Williams are set to participate in a full six-month stay on the International Space Station.
According to Stich, NASA’s decision was influenced by the flight schedules for the space station and the requirements of the orbiting laboratory. This approach also facilitated the transportation of SpaceX spacesuits for the astronauts and the creation of seat liners designed to ensure a safe water landing using parachutes.
“After evaluating all aspects, we concluded that the current path was indeed the most suitable,” Stich mentioned. “Thus, we proceeded with Crew 9, utilizing the two vacant seats, sending a suit for Butch, and ensuring that the seating was appropriately configured for Butch and Suni’s physical dimensions for a safe return.”
SpaceX has collaborated with NASA to explore various options, including a potential return last fall. However, these discussions were confined to leadership levels within the program, specifically Stich for Commercial Crew and Dana Weigel for the International Space Station.
“Dana and I collaborated to devise a plan that served the interests of both the Commercial Crew Program and the Space Station,” Stich explained. “Then we involved Ken (Bowersox) in the Flight Readiness Review process, with NASA’s administrator also listening in. We provided a recommendation based on our usual protocol.”
Bowersox confirmed that the decision was made at the program level.
“That’s typically how our decisions are made,” Bowersox stated. “The programs evaluate what is most feasible from their own perspectives, technically and programmatically. We contribute at the headquarters level, and in this case, we believed the plan we proposed made logical sense.”
During a teleconference, Bill Gerstenmaier, a vice president at SpaceX, was asked about Musk’s comments concerning the Biden administration. He did not provide a clear response.
Musk claimed he made a proposition directly to senior officials in the Biden administration. While this assertion cannot be independently verified, it appears that the Biden administration did not relay such an offer to lower-level NASA officials, who based their decision on technical factors rather than political ones.
“I think you understand that we work for NASA and have cooperated with them to do what we believe is right,” remarked SpaceX’s Gerstenmaier. “We were ready to assist in any way they deemed fit. They developed the option that was described today, and we’re backing that choice.”
Did Trump Prompt NASA to Expedite Butch and Suni’s Return?
By late last year, Team 9 was scheduled to return around mid-February. However, a battery issue with a new Dragon spacecraft designated for Crew 10 caused NASA to announce on December 17 that their return would be postponed until late March or early April.
Then on February 11, NASA revealed that the Crew 10 launch had been rescheduled to March 12, a shift a couple of weeks earlier than originally planned, enabled by switching to a previously used Crew Dragon capsule, Endurance, for Crew 10.
Was this adjustment to hasten Wilmore and Williams’ return driven by political motivations?
Stich indicated that the decision to switch to Endurance was made in late January, allowing for the earlier launch date. When asked if political pressure influenced this change, Stich asserted it did not. “It was primarily motivated by various other factors, and we were contemplating this well before the President and Mr. Musk made their statements,” he explained.
Bowersox echoed this sentiment, stating that while political interest was appreciated, it was not a driving factor.
“I can confirm that Steve had been discussing the need to rearrange flights and switch capsules a good month prior to any outside discussion, but the president’s interest certainly intensified the dialogue,” Bowersox noted.
This report initially appeared in Ars Technica.
