NASA has approved the first astronaut launch to the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The SpaceX spacecraft is set to launch on September 28, returning Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been on the ISS since their capsule encountered helium leaks and thruster issues, which delayed their return.
The Crew-9 launch marks SpaceX’s inaugural mission from the SLC-40 pad at the Florida space force station. The Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft will carry two Crew-9 astronauts to the ISS, taking off at 1:17 PM EDT (10:47 PM IST) on Saturday.
This mission will be the first time since its May 2020 test flight that SpaceX will launch with only two astronauts: Russian cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov and NASA veteran Nick Hague. This deviates from SpaceX's typical ISS crew rotation flights and is also the first time the company will send humans to space from a site other than Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A.
Following issues with the Boeing Starliner, NASA opted for Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the safe return of Williams and Wilmore. Although Crew-9 was initially set to include commander Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, it will now only feature Hague and Gorbunov to accommodate the Starliner astronauts. Williams and Wilmore are currently stranded on the ISS after their capsule returned empty to Earth on September 7.
“We’re proceeding toward launch and will go ahead at 1:17 PM tomorrow,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, during a press briefing. He noted that the spacecraft is vertical on the pad, with cargo loading scheduled for the afternoon in preparation for the flight.
The launch was originally planned for Thursday but was postponed due to Hurricane Helene, with the Space Coast under a tropical storm warning and nearby tornado warnings.
Regarding the Boeing Starliner, the capsule launched on June 5 with Williams and Wilmore on board, expected to return in eight days. However, due to helium leaks and thruster failures, NASA decided not to bring the duo back on the Starliner. Instead, they will be returned on the SpaceX Falcon 9, with plans for the astronauts to return to Earth by February 2025.