SPACEX LAUNCHES RESCUE MISSION TO BRING HOME STRANDED ASTRONAUTS

Sun 29 September 2024:

A SpaceX rocket lifted off with two passengers on Saturday to retrieve two American astronauts who are stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for months, according to NASA.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1.17 p.m. (1717GMT), carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to the ISS.

The mission, Crew-9, features two empty seats intended to return Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the ISS for months due to issues with their Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft.

“Congrats to NASA and SpaceX on a successful launch,” NASA chief Bill Nelson wrote on X. “We live in an exciting period of exploration and innovation in the stars.”

Wilmore and Williams, originally intended for an eight-day stay, had their mission extended after propulsion problems forced NASA to reconsider their return plans.

“We know that this launch is a bit unique in moving from the plan for crew members to two,” noted NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “I do want to thank SpaceX for their support and flexibility.”

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Following intensive evaluations of the Starliner’s reliability, the launch was postponed from mid-August to late September, further delayed by Hurricane Helene.

The SpaceX Dragon vessel is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Sunday at around 2130GMT, allowing for a handover of duties before the return trip.

In total, Crew-9 will conduct 200 scientific experiments during their five-month stay.

-Source: AA

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