Author Topic: Flight crew assignments  (Read 1898864 times)

Offline ZachS09

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3560 on: 05/25/2022 09:31 pm »
Axiom Space has announced today Walter Villadei as back-up crew member of Ax-2.

Will Villadei be backing up Whitson or Shoffner?
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3561 on: 05/25/2022 11:41 pm »
Axiom Space has announced today Walter Villadei as back-up crew member of Ax-2.

Will Villadei be backing up Whitson or Shoffner?

Interesting. Villadei is also planned to be one of three Italian Airforce passengers on the next SpaceShipTwo flight.

Offline hektor

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3562 on: 05/25/2022 11:53 pm »
Axiom Space has announced today Walter Villadei as back-up crew member of Ax-2.

Will Villadei be backing up Whitson or Shoffner?

Not known. He could even back up one of the two yet-unnamed other passengers. The press release also hints that he will be prime for Ax-3 if and when it happens.

Axiom Space and Italian Government Sign Historic MOU to Expand Commercial Utilization of Space
« Last Edit: 05/25/2022 11:55 pm by hektor »

Online ddspaceman

Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3563 on: 05/26/2022 05:04 am »
GT: TELSTAR has also participated in the press conference of Mr. Noguchi, who will retire from JAXA on the 1st of next month! The warm applause from the reporters was impressive 👏

https://twitter.com/telstar_freemgz/status/1529388375681437697


Online ddspaceman

Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3564 on: 05/26/2022 05:05 am »
GT:  Best wishes for @Astro_Soichi
 on his retirement from JAXA. It was a harmonious press conference with the media! Thank you to Astronaut Soichi Noguchi, his family, and everyone involved in JAXA. I also remember 11 years ago, and I am grateful again. The challenge will continue!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Naoko/status/1529368244209197056

« Last Edit: 05/26/2022 05:07 am by ddspaceman »

Offline Rian

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3565 on: 06/17/2022 10:24 pm »
So now that we know Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be Commander and Pilot respectively for BOE-CFT. Are we alright to assume that Mike Fincke will be commander on Starliner-1. There is also the case of Matthew Dominick who seems to also be training on the Starliner.

I'm hoping once CFT flies successfully NASA will publish the crews (NASA Astronauts) for hopefully 1-3 of the Starliner flights since that's what they've been doing with SpaceX. But I guess it will all depend on when the Starliners fly since NASA won't want to announce too far ahead.

Offline DanClemmensen

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3566 on: 06/17/2022 10:31 pm »
So now that we know Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be Commander and Pilot respectively for BOE-CFT. Are we alright to assume that Mike Fincke will be commander on Starliner-1. There is also the case of Matthew Dominick who seems to also be training on the Starliner.

I'm hoping once CFT flies successfully NASA will publish the crews (NASA Astronauts) for hopefully 1-3 of the Starliner flights since that's what they've been doing with SpaceX. But I guess it will all depend on when the Starliners fly since NASA won't want to announce too far ahead.
Big difference: Starliner will fly once a year, as will Crew Dragon after Starliner-1 flies. Up to now and onward thru Q2 2023 Crew Dragon flies every six months. It's reasonable to publish crew lists a year out, but not three years out.

Offline ZachS09

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3567 on: 06/17/2022 11:38 pm »
I would guess Mike Fincke as commander of Starliner-1 with Matthew Dominick commanding Starliner-2. And Jeanette Epps stays on Starliner-1 as Mission Specialist 1 or 2.

Maybe if Eric Boe is cleared of his medical issues, he could fly as pilot on either Starliner-1 or Starliner-2.
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline John_Marshall

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3568 on: 06/18/2022 02:20 am »
I would guess Mike Fincke as commander of Starliner-1 with Matthew Dominick commanding Starliner-2. And Jeanette Epps stays on Starliner-1 as Mission Specialist 1 or 2.

Maybe if Eric Boe is cleared of his medical issues, he could fly as pilot on either Starliner-1 or Starliner-2.

I had presumed that Dominick would be Starliner-1 PLT with Fincke, Epps, and an international astronaut (probably Furukawa), but I could see him ending up in a Kjell Lindgren situation (backup several times in a row) and getting a command slot a little further down the line.

I'd be surprised if Boe flew as pilot, since he piloted the shuttle twice.

Offline Ben E

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3569 on: 06/18/2022 07:01 am »
Yes, I agree. If Boe does ever fly, I can't imagine a two-time Shuttle PLT would not want the CDR spot.

Dominick is currently Starliner-1 backup CDR, so a likely contender either for Starliner-1 PLT or perhaps Starliner-2 CDR.

Offline ZachS09

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3570 on: 06/18/2022 12:18 pm »
Yes, I agree. If Boe does ever fly, I can't imagine a two-time Shuttle PLT would not want the CDR spot.

Dominick is currently Starliner-1 backup CDR, so a likely contender either for Starliner-1 PLT or perhaps Starliner-2 CDR.

I guessed Boe as pilot because he was originally the CFT Joint Operations Commander (before Fincke replaced him). To me, that’s a form of the pilot role similar to Behnken’s assignment on Demo-2.
« Last Edit: 06/18/2022 12:23 pm by ZachS09 »
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline John_Marshall

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3571 on: 06/18/2022 08:52 pm »
Yes, I agree. If Boe does ever fly, I can't imagine a two-time Shuttle PLT would not want the CDR spot.

Dominick is currently Starliner-1 backup CDR, so a likely contender either for Starliner-1 PLT or perhaps Starliner-2 CDR.

Agreed on both counts.

I guessed Boe as pilot because he was originally the CFT Joint Operations Commander (before Fincke replaced him). To me, that’s a form of the pilot role similar to Behnken’s assignment on Demo-2.

That makes sense!

Offline skeer

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3572 on: 06/19/2022 12:08 am »
Is it true, however, that actually Boe would have been commander if Ferguson had not been brought in to push him into the pilot's seat?

Offline John_Marshall

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3573 on: 06/19/2022 02:25 am »
Is it true, however, that actually Boe would have been commander if Ferguson had not been brought in to push him into the pilot's seat?

Originally? Presumably so, since Nicole Mann was the only other person on the crew.

Offline Ben E

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3574 on: 06/19/2022 09:48 am »
Were the actual "original" CFT assignments ever determined? I don't ever remember it being announced in Aug 2018 who was in command. I only found out much later about the CDR, PLT and JOC roles.

After Ferguson and Boe's departure, my understanding was:

Wilmore (CDR)
Mann (PLT)
Fincke (JOC)

But am I correct in thinking that at the time of the original assignments in Aug 2018, the plan was:

Ferguson (CDR)
Mann (PLT)
Boe (JOC)

That would have been somewhat odd, having a senior NASA Pilot Astronaut (Boe) in the junior (?) position of JOC to the rookie Mann. And it would have been equally odd to have had a Boeing CDR on a NASA mission.

Offline John_Marshall

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3575 on: 06/19/2022 07:43 pm »
We know that Ferguson was going to be CDR, as that was the position Wilmore (who had been training for any position if what I saw was correct) rotated into. I think it was unofficially known, too, even though it was not officially announced. We know that, after Boe left, it was Ferguson-Mann-Fincke left to right in the capsule (and I presume the pilot would be next to the commander), as that's what pictures showed. I had presumed that Mann moved up a seat when Boe left (Ferguson-Boe-Mann to Ferguson-Mann-Fincke). I could also see them wanting Boe as PLT due to his familiarity with Ferguson from STS-126.

Offline Delta7

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3576 on: 06/20/2022 01:40 pm »
There’s scuttlebut that if the US and Russia can’t come to an agreement on Anna Kikina flying on Crew 5, (meaning the current political climate puts the kibosh on it), that her seat will be taken by Jeanette Epps. Epps has reportedly been training to fly the Dragon 2. I presume that decision will have to be made soon.

Online ddspaceman

Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3577 on: 06/30/2022 03:25 am »
Don't think assignments have been set yet but ...  TRACY!!!

https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/1542092751432450048


Online ddspaceman

Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3578 on: 07/18/2022 04:49 pm »
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/07/15/russian-space-chief-dismissed-nasa-gets-deal-for-joint-crews/

Cosmonaut Anna Kikina also will launch in September aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule along with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada and veteran Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Launch had been targeted for Sept. 1, but NASA officials are no longer saying when the mission might get underway, indicating a delay may be in the offing.

NASA also announced Friday that astronaut Loral O’Hara will launch aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft next spring, along with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. Cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev will join astronauts Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg aboard a SpaceX capsule that’s also targeting a spring 2023 launch.




Offline DanClemmensen

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Re: Flight crew assignments
« Reply #3579 on: 07/18/2022 05:12 pm »
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/07/15/russian-space-chief-dismissed-nasa-gets-deal-for-joint-crews/

Cosmonaut Anna Kikina also will launch in September aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule along with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada and veteran Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Launch had been targeted for Sept. 1, but NASA officials are no longer saying when the mission might get underway, indicating a delay may be in the offing.

NASA also announced Friday that astronaut Loral O’Hara will launch aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft next spring, along with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. Cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev will join astronauts Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg aboard a SpaceX capsule that’s also targeting a spring 2023 launch.

My uninformed guess based on nothing whatsoever is that they do not want to launch on Sept. 1 because Artemis I may be on its pad at LC-39B if it was rolled out for a possible launch on Aug. 29, and Crew Dragon launches from LC-39A.

Tags: Crew 9 
 

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