On Saturday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soared into the sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida, embarking on a mission to return two American astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for months. The launch, which occurred at 1:17 p.m. Eastern Time (1717 GMT), marks a significant step in bringing astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth after an unexpectedly extended stay aboard the ISS.
The Falcon 9 carried NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to the ISS. The spacecraft intentionally left two seats vacant to accommodate Wilmore and Williams on the return journey. The duo’s prolonged mission was a result of technical issues with the Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft, which had initially delivered them to the ISS in June.
Wilmore and Williams were scheduled for an eight-day stay on the space station. However, problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system emerged during their flight, prompting NASA to undertake intensive tests on the spacecraft’s reliability. Ultimately, the decision was made to return the Starliner to Earth without its crew and arrange for the astronauts’ return via SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.
“We know that this launch is a bit unique in moving from the plan for crew members to two,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “I do want to thank SpaceX for their support and flexibility.”
The launch of Crew-9 was originally slated for mid-August but faced delays to allow NASA experts sufficient time to evaluate the Starliner’s issues and decide on the best course of action. Additional delays were caused by the destructive passage of Hurricane Helene, which impacted Florida’s coast.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has been providing regular transportation to the ISS, enabling the rotation of crews every six months. The Dragon vessel is set to dock with the ISS on Sunday. After a handover period, the four members of Crew-8 will return to Earth aboard another SpaceX craft.
During their time on the ISS, Hague and Gorbunov will conduct approximately 200 scientific experiments over five months. Wilmore and Williams, having already spent eight months in space, are anticipated to return to Earth in February.
Reference(s):
SpaceX launches mission to return NASA's stranded astronauts
cgtn.com
