SpaceX launches rescue mission to return stranded astronauts

SpaceX successfully launched a rescue mission on September 28, 2024, to return two American astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for several months. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, while leaving two seats empty for the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Their extended stay on the ISS was due to issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which had encountered propulsion problems during its first crewed flight. NASA decided to prioritize the safe return of the stranded astronauts by utilizing SpaceX's Crew-9 mission. The launch was initially delayed to allow for thorough evaluations of the Starliner's reliability and was further postponed due to Hurricane Helene. The Dragon vessel is expected to dock with the ISS, allowing for a handover of duties before the return of the Crew-8 members. In total, Hague and Gorbunov will spend approximately five months in space, while Wilmore and Williams will have been on the ISS for eight months. The Crew-9 mission is set to conduct around 200 scientific experiments during their time aboard the station.

- SpaceX launched a rescue mission to return stranded astronauts from the ISS.

- The Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with two astronauts on board.

- The mission was delayed due to reliability evaluations of Boeing's Starliner and Hurricane Helene.

- Hague and Gorbunov will spend five months in space; Wilmore and Williams will have spent eight months.

- Crew-9 is expected to conduct approximately 200 scientific experiments during their mission.