NASA to Reassign Two Astronauts from Starliner to SpaceX

NASA has reassigned astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada to the Commercial Crew Program’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station. Mann and Cassada will lead the Crew-5 mission as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively.

Additional members of the team will be disclosed at a later date. Crew-5 is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2022 on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida’s Launch Complex 39A. The two will join an expedition crew aboard the station for an extended stay to undertake science activities for humanity’s benefit and exploration.

Nicole and Josh have done an incredible job pioneering astronaut training and the road forward for Boeing’s Starliner spaceship. They’ve gathered valuable expertise that they’ll apply as they prepare to go aboard the International Space Station in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. The NASA team is fortunate to have two commercial crew partners, Boeing and SpaceX. It will continue to work with them to prepare astronauts and international partners to fly to and from the International Space Station on American spacecraft.

Mann and Cassada had previously served on NASA Boeing Crew Flight Test and Boeing Starliner-1 missions. felt that these reassignments were necessary to provide Boeing enough time to finish the Starliner project while also continuing plans for astronauts to earn spaceflight experience for future trips. As the agency prepares for Boeing Crew Flight Test, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Mike Fincke, and Suni Williams will continue to contribute experience to Boeing. There will be more Boeing flight assignments in the future.