Re:Crew-9 Returns to Earth
by gustavoamigo on Wednesday March 19, 2025 @09:53AM
(#43412022)
From what you are saying, it was not a rescue mission then? But Trump administration is trying to frame as it were. Is that it?
The Crew-10 was not a rescue mission because they just rotated with Crew-9 which carried the Starliner Astronauts back. Crew-9 could be called a rescue mission because they took back the Starliner Astronauts. But Rescue makes it sound more urgent and dedicated than it actually is. They would have flown anyways, just with more crew.
I think the general idea is to always have at least some Russians and Americans on the ISS at all times (although they are doing swapped missions now so even having only one vehicle left would ensure that most of the time) and to always have crew on the ISS, even if one vehicle needs to return early due to technical problems.