NASA reassigns two astronauts from Boeing Starliner to SpaceX Crew Dragon

NASA crew members of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station. In the photo on the left, NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada. Credit: NASA

Nasa reassigned astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada to the agency EspaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Crew Program.

Mann and Cassada will serve as the spacecraft’s commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-5 mission. Additional crew members will be announced later.

Crew-5 is scheduled to launch no earlier than fall 2022 on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida. The duo and their teammates will join an expedition crew aboard the station for an extended stay to conduct science activities for the benefit of humanity and exploration.

“Nicole and Josh have done a tremendous job paving the way for training and the way forward for astronauts to fly aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. They have gained experience that they will continue to train to fly in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and serve aboard the International Space Station, ”said Kathryn Lueders, Associate Administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate. at NASA headquarters in Washington. “The NASA team is fortunate to have two crew business partners and will continue to work with Boeing and SpaceX to prepare NASA astronauts and our international partners to fly to and from the International Space Station on board. ‘American spacecraft. “

Artist illustration of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft in orbit. Credit: Boeing

Mann and Cassada had previously served on missions on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test and NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission, respectively. NASA decided it was important to make these reallocations to give Boeing time to complete Starliner development while continuing plans for astronauts to gain space flight experience for future mission needs. agency.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Mike Fincke and Suni Williams will continue to bring their experience to Boeing as the agency prepares for the NASA Boeing crew flight test. Additional Boeing flight assignments will be made in the future.

Mann is a native of California and a Marine Corps Colonel. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Fluid Mechanics from Stanford University. She is an F / A-18 test pilot with more than 2,500 flight hours in more than 25 aircraft. NASA chose Mann as its astronaut in 2013. It will be his first trip to space.

This artist’s concept shows a SpaceX Crew Dragon docking with the International Space Station, as it will during a mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA is partnering with Boeing and SpaceX to build a new generation of human-capable spacecraft capable of taking astronauts to the station and back to Earth, expanding the possibilities for in-orbit research. Credit: SpaceX

“It was the opportunity of a lifetime to train on a brand new spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, and it was fantastic to work with the Boeing team,” said Mann. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to train on another new spacecraft – the SpaceX Crew Dragon – and to appreciate the teams at NASA who made this possible. I am ready to fly and serve on the International Space Station.

Cassada grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and is a US Navy physicist and test pilot. He attended the University of Michigan and then received his doctorate. research at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory before becoming a naval aviator. Cassada has accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours in more than 45 different aircraft. NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2013. It will be his first space flight.

“It has been great spending the last few years training with the joint Boeing and NASA team, and I can’t wait to have the chance now to train with SpaceX on a new spacecraft as well. . Cross-training on the two programs is a unique opportunity to learn, but also to provide valuable information to future astronauts at the controls of these spacecraft, ”said Cassada. “And, of course, Nicole and I are incredibly excited to be working aboard the International Space Station, executing current operations, and also contributing to future exploration beyond Earth orbit. low.”

For more than 20 years, NASA has continuously had astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs impossible on Earth. As part of a global endeavor, 242 people from 19 countries visited the unique microgravity lab which hosted more than 3,000 research and educational surveys conducted by researchers from 108 countries.

The station is a vital test bed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand business opportunities in low earth orbit. As business ventures focus on providing manned space transport services and developing a strong economy in low earth orbit, NASA is free to focus on building spacecraft and rockets for space missions. far to the moon and March.