SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-9 mission on Saturday at Cape Canaveral, Florida, marking a significant milestone in the effort to return stranded NASA astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS).
The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 1:17 p.m. Eastern Time (1717 GMT), utilizing a new launch pad in its maiden crewed mission from the site.
On board the mission were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. The spacecraft left two seats empty to facilitate the return of American astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been aboard the ISS for eight months due to delays with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
The Starliner, in its first crewed flight in June, was intended for an eight-day mission. However, propulsion system issues extended Wilmore and Williams’ stay, prompting NASA to deploy the SpaceX Crew-9 mission to safely return them to Earth.
\"We know that this launch is a bit unique in moving from the plan for crew members to two,\" NASA associate administrator Jim Free commented. \"I do want to thank SpaceX for their support and flexibility.\"
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has been conducting regular missions every six months to manage ISS crew rotations. The Crew-9 launch faced delays from mid-August to late September as NASA assessed Starliner’s reliability, further pushed back by Hurricane Helene’s impact on Florida's opposite coast.
The Dragon vessel is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Sunday, with Crew-8 members returning to Earth on another SpaceX craft after a handover of duties. In total, Hague and Gorbunov will spend approximately five months on the ISS, while Wilmore and Williams will complete their eight-month mission, contributing to around 200 scientific experiments.
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SpaceX launches mission to return NASA's stranded astronauts
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