SpaceX crew blasts off to bring back stranded astronauts after Hurricane delay

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By himalaya Diary News Service On Sep 29, 2024

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Roscosmos astronauts Aleksandr Gorbunov (L) (Mission Specialist) and NASA astronaut Nick Hague (Mission Commander) of Crew 9 lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 toward the International Space Station (ISS) on September 28, 2024 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX Crew 9 is the ninth SpaceX Human Transportation System crew rotation mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner, the decision was made to return the Starliner uncrewed and launch Crew 9 with two empty seats to return the Boeing crew flight test astronauts to Earth. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images)

A SpaceX crew bound for the International Space Station (ISS) to shuttle back two stranded astronauts took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday (September 28) after the launch was delayed by Hurricane Helene.

The Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov has two of its four available seats empty so that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams can return in February 2025.

Williams and Wilmore became the first crew to fly Boeing Starliner in June, and were meant to return after a brief mission, but technical problems led NASA to keep them on the ISS and bring the Starliner back unmanned, turning what was supposed to be an eight-day test into an eight-month mission.