SpaceX Crew-8
Extended ISS mission supporting Boeing Starliner contingency.
SpaceX Crew-8 was the eighth crewed operational NASA Commercial Crew flight and the 13th overall crewed orbital flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission launched on March 3, 2024 (UTC), transporting four crew members to the International Space Station (ISS): NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. The mission was extended due to problems encountered by the Boeing Crew Flight Test, and the Crew-8 capsule already had two spare seats for contingency use if an emergency occurred prior to Crew-9 docking on September 29, 2024.
Quick Facts
- Names List
- USCV-8
- Mission Type
- ISS crew transport
- Operator
- SpaceX
- Distance Travelled
- 100 e6mi
- Orbits Completed
- 3,760
- Spacecraft Type
- SpaceX Crew Dragon
- Crew Size
- 4
- Crew Members
- Matthew Dominick · Michael Barratt · Jeanette Epps · Alexander Grebenkin
- Crew Expedition
- Expedition 70/71/72
- Launch Date
- March 4, 2024, 03:53:38UTC (March 3, 10:53:38pmEST)
- Launch Rocket
- Falcon 9 Block 5 (B10831), Flight 305
- Launch Site
- Kennedy, LC39A
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
SpaceX Crew-8 launched at 3:53:38 UTC on March 3, 2024, after a first attempt was scrubbed due to elevated winds. The crew relocated Crew Dragon Endeavour to the zenith port of Harmony on May 2, 2024, to make way for the Boeing Starliner on the forward port. Starliner docked on June 6, 2024, after experiencing thruster anomalies, leading to an unplanned extended stay for its two-person crew.
Reader's Guide
Crew-8's significance lies in its role as a lifeboat for the stranded Boeing Starliner crew. After NASA decided Starliner could not safely return its crew, the Crew-8 capsule was modified with two extra crew positions in the cargo area to serve as an emergency evacuation spacecraft until Crew-9 docked. The mission was extended from 180 to 240 days, becoming the longest Dragon mission. Delays from Hurricane Milton and other storms pushed the return to October 25, 2024, when Endeavour splashed down near Pensacola, Florida. During descent, a main parachute opening delay and drogue debris strikes were observed. One astronaut was hospitalized post-landing but released the next day in good health. Crew-8's flexibility and extended duration demonstrated the adaptability of commercial crew systems under unforeseen circumstances.
Did You Know?
- The mission lasted 235 days, exceeding NASA's typical maximum of around 210 days.
- The crew did not install extra seats; two spare seats were already present for contingency use.
- One astronaut was hospitalized after splashdown but released the next day in good health.
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