SpaceX launched a rescue mission to bring stranded astronauts
NRI Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back home in February, 2025

Los Angeles/Sep 30, 2024
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/A.Gary Singh

SpaceX, an Elon Musk’s company successfully launched a two-member crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, along with supplies and two empty seats for Starliner astronauts set to return to Earth in February after an extended 8.5-month stay in orbit.

The launch was delayed by two days due to adverse weather caused by Hurricane Helene. However, at 1:17 p.m. EDT, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, propelling the Crew Dragon "Freedom" on its way to the ISS.

Veteran NASA astronaut Nick Hague commanded the mission, while Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, making his first spaceflight, accompanied him. Initially designed for a four-member team, the mission was adjusted after astronauts Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman were removed in August to make room for Starliner astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who are expected to return to Earth in February aboard Crew Dragon.

The launch marked the first manned flight from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, after 14 previous missions launched from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. After the Falcon 9's first stage returned to land at the station, the Crew Dragon was released into orbit to begin a 28-hour journey to the ISS.

Upon arrival, Hague and Gorbunov will join Wilmore, Williams, and other crew members, replacing those who have been aboard since March. The Crew Dragon also delivered essential supplies for Wilmore and Williams, who have been in orbit since June.

While some dubbed the mission a "rescue," NASA clarified that Wilmore and Williams had multiple return options, including Crew Dragon 8 or Crew Dragon 9. The latter was chosen to ensure minimal disruption to the ISS crew rotation schedule.
In a post-launch briefing, Sarah Walker, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX, emphasized the significance of these missions in advancing human spaceflight. Hague also discussed the challenges of integrating Wilmore and Williams into Crew Dragon operations, as they had minimal training for the spacecraft before launching on the Starliner.

Hague, a Space Force colonel and experienced astronaut, was chosen to command the mission, while Gorbunov, who flew under a NASA-Roscosmos agreement, supported Hague during the flight.

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