NASA Astronauts Set to Make History with Spacecraft Relocation!

This weekend, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are gearing up to achieve an extraordinary milestone—becoming the first astronauts to travel in both Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. This unprecedented feat is set to occur 250 miles above Earth, during a complex parking maneuver aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Having previously flown to the ISS aboard the Starliner, Wilmore and Williams were a part of an uncrewed return to Earth earlier, when NASA made the decision to send the spacecraft back without crew members. Now, they are included in a four-member crew that is preparing for their return journey in the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom, which is scheduled for February 2025.

The Crew Dragon Freedom has just docked with the ISS and currently houses two crew members—NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. To make room for Wilmore and Williams, a short yet significant relocation is planned where the Crew Dragon will move from one port of the Harmony module to another. This maneuver is critical as it will make way for an incoming SpaceX Cargo Dragon, which will be loaded with 6,000 pounds of supplies needed for the ISS's ongoing operations.

Complicating matters, the ISS has limited docking ports, especially for the SpaceX Dragon and Boeing Starliner. The Russian segment of the ISS accommodates Soyuz and Progress vehicles, while the Northrop Grumman Cygnus can connect to the Unity module. Nevertheless, NASA's protocol typically designates the forward-facing port for new missions, necessitating this strategic repositioning.

While the actual journey will take less than an hour, it will represent a historic first for Wilmore and Williams as they travel in Crew Dragon under its own propulsion. This journey will mark their fourth spacecraft to cross their paths in space, further elevating them within an elite group of astronauts. Their previous experiences include missions aboard the Space Shuttle and the Soyuz spacecraft.

This milestone is reminiscent of the pioneering achievements of NASA's John Young, who flew in a total of four different spacecraft and was notable for his moon landing. Although numerous astronauts have been involved with multiple spacecraft, Wilmore and Williams' specific combination of vehicles is unique.

Including this weekend's relocation and their upcoming mission, the duo's journey symbolizes the advancements in human spaceflight capabilities provided by NASA's Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX is deep into its operational missions, currently on the ninth round of Crew rotations, with future flights slated for 2024 and beyond. Meanwhile, Boeing continues its quest for certification, attempting to regain ground after a delay in its own crewed missions.

As space exploration leaps forward, with astronauts like Wilmore and Williams leading the charge, the lines of competition between commercial space endeavors blur, promising thrilling developments in human spaceflight and international collaboration in the cosmos. Keep an eye on the sky—history is being made up there!