Key Highlights:
- Successful Rescue Launch: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched to retrieve stranded astronauts Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov from the ISS after eight months
- Boeing Starliner Delays: Technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner prompted NASA to choose SpaceX for the rescue mission
- Crew Adjustments: The mission included two empty seats for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will stay on the ISS until late February
- SpaceX’s Leadership: This mission marks SpaceX’s 10th crewed flight for NASA, reinforcing its role in commercial space transport
SpaceX has successfully launched a rescue mission to retrieve two astronauts who have been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since December. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov were sent into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday afternoon.
Originally, Hague and Gorbunov were only expected to spend a week in space, having signed up for Boeing’s first astronaut flight back in June. However, persistent issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft—including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks—led NASA to deem the craft too risky for their return. As a result, SpaceX stepped in to bring them home aboard its Dragon capsule, with the mission extending their stay to more than eight months.
The current flight included two empty seats intended for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will remain aboard the ISS until late February due to the logistical challenges of accommodating other scheduled missions. NASA had to cut two astronauts from this launch to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return leg of the journey.
During their extended stay, Williams has taken on the role of commander of the ISS, which will soon return to its normal crew size of seven once Hague and Gorbunov arrive on Sunday. The four astronauts who have been aboard since March are scheduled to return to Earth in their own SpaceX capsule.
Reflecting on the mission, Hague commented, “Change is the one constant in human spaceflight. Maybe this time it’s been a little more visible to the public.” He was thrust into the commander’s role for this rescue mission, drawing on his prior experience handling a launch emergency six years ago.
Despite the reduced crew size and the complexities of coordinating the rescue with astronauts trained on different spacecraft, Hague expressed confidence in the mission. “We’ve got a dynamic challenge ahead of us, but we’re professionals and we step up and do what’s asked of us,” he said after arriving from Houston last weekend.
SpaceX has long been a key player in NASA’s commercial crew program, surpassing Boeing in delivering astronauts to the ISS in 2020. The company has now completed 10 crewed missions for NASA, solidifying its reputation as a leader in space transport. Meanwhile, Boeing has faced multiple setbacks with its Starliner, including a test flight that veered off course, and it had to repeat the mission without a crew.
The Starliner that initially carried Wilmore and Williams to the ISS successfully landed in the New Mexico desert on September 6 and has since returned to Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, continues to play a crucial role in ISS crew rotations. Crew-9, the current mission, will return to Earth after completing the handover when the Dragon capsule docks with the ISS on Sunday at 21:30 GMT. Over the course of their mission, the Crew-9 team will conduct around 200 scientific experiments in space.
