What was initially planned as a short duration (several weeks) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by rookie astronauts, will likely become a much longer mission—extended by months. With just three crew members currently scheduled on the ISS, the station is under-manned.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said, “We might look at making that first crew be a longer duration crew for the purpose of getting the maximum amount of capability out of the International Space Station.” This will be the first crew to fly to the ISS on the SpaceX Crew Dragon.
This announcement followed the successful test of the Crew Dragon abort system—the last major milestone in certifying the capsule for crew missions. According to Bridenstine, the final decision will be made in the next several weeks.
Former astronaut Garrett Reisman said he suspected that NASA had already decided to extend the mission.
Assuming it is extended, the two crew members will have to undergo more training, including for spacewalk missions.
The current mission is not yet scheduled, but the requirement for additional crew training and a review of the launch vehicles mission systems suggest the second quarter of 2020 for the launch window.