Astronaut Relocation Event: On November 3, four astronauts will reposition the SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft at the International Space Station (ISS). Viewers can watch the event live.
Live Coverage Details: NASA+ will start broadcasting the event at 6:15 a.m. EST (1315 GMT). The broadcast may also be available on NASA's YouTube channel.
Scheduled Redocking Plan: The spacecraft will undock from the Harmony module at 6:35 a.m. EST (1335 GMT) and re-dock at the space-facing port by 7:18 a.m. EST (1418 GMT).
Crew Members Involved: NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will participate in the maneuver.
Starliner Connection: Wilmore and Williams were reassigned to Crew-9 after safety concerns regarding the Boeing Starliner spacecraft following propulsion issues in June.
Reason for Reassignment: NASA concluded it was too risky to use the Starliner for their return due to unresolved docking propulsion issues, prompting their shift to Crew-9.
Impact on Crew Seats: Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were originally part of Crew-9 but were removed to make space for Wilmore and Williams. They remain eligible for future missions.
Upcoming Docking: The relocation frees up the Harmony port for a cargo version of Dragon, which is set to launch on November 4 and dock after the maneuver.