24/7 Space News
SPACE TRAVEL
SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Sept 28, 2024

A SpaceX rocket soared into the sky Saturday with two passengers on board, leaving two seats empty to return American astronauts who have been stranded for months on the International Space Station, NASA said.

The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 1:17 pm (1717 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It used a new launch pad, the pad's first use for a crewed mission.

"Congrats to @NASA and @SpaceX on a successful launch," NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a post on X. "We live in an exciting period of exploration and innovation in the stars."

On board were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.

When they return from the space station in February, they will bring back two space veterans -- Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams -- whose stay on the ISS was prolonged for months by problems with their Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft.

The newly developed Starliner was making its first crewed flight when it delivered Wilmore and Williams to the ISS in June.

They were supposed to be there for only an eight-day stay, but after problems with the Starliner's propulsion system emerged during the flight there, NASA was forced to weigh a radical change in plans.

- 'A bit unique' -

After weeks of intensive tests on the Starliner's reliability, the space agency finally decided to return it to Earth without its crew, and to bring the two stranded astronauts back home on the SpaceX mission Crew-9.

"We know that this launch is a bit unique in moving from the plan for crew members to two," NASA associate administrator Jim Free told reporters.

"I do want to thank SpaceX for their support and flexibility."

SpaceX, the private company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has been flying regular missions every six months to allow the rotation of ISS crews.

But the launch of Crew-9 was delayed from mid-August to late September to give NASA experts more time to evaluate the reliability of the Starliner and decide how to proceed.

It was then delayed a few more days by the destructive passage of Hurricane Helene, a powerful storm that roared into the opposite coast of Florida on Thursday.

SpaceX's Dragon vessel is set to dock with the ISS on Sunday around 2130 GMT.

After allowing a handover of duties, the four members of Crew-8 will return to Earth on another SpaceX craft.

In total, Hague and Gorbunov will spend some five months on the ISS; Wilmore and Williams, eight months.

In all, Crew-9 will conduct some 200 scientific experiments.

Related Links
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SPACE TRAVEL
New EO platform on ISS to boost climate and environmental research
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 26, 2024
The International Space Station (ISS) is poised to enhance its environmental monitoring capabilities with a new payload supported by the ISS National Laboratory and developed by Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Inc. Installed on the Bartolomeo platform, the system aims to broaden access to the station's unique perspective for research and technology demonstrations. "Airbus is improving our ability to observe and understand our planet as well as democratizing access to space by accommodating more res ... read more

SPACE TRAVEL
SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts

China expands food options for deep-space missions

Voyager Space executes key Bishop Airlock operations in Starlab mission prep

ISS Crew-9 will conduct research into genetics, cardiac health, and space farming

SPACE TRAVEL
Veteran Ventures Capital invests in Agile Space Industries

Leaf Space signs with Maritime Launch Services for Nova Scotia ground station

When manned crew lifts off for ISS this weekend, public can take part interactively

CAS Space completes fourth successful Kinetica 1 rocket flight

SPACE TRAVEL
Crew completes simulated Mars Mission at JSC

Mars' missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight

Martian rocks shed light on planet's ancient climate

A Striped Surprise

SPACE TRAVEL
Xi emphasizes China's drive to lead in space exploration

China launches Yaogan 43B remote-sensing satellites from Xichang

Shenzhou-18 Crew Tests Fire Alarms and Conducts Medical Procedures in Space

Astronauts on Tiangong Space Station Complete Fire Safety Drill

SPACE TRAVEL
Vodafone and Intelsat Expand Satellite Connectivity for Remote Areas and Emergency Response

BlackSky prices $40M Public Offering of Common Stock

Sidus strengthens LizzieSat operations with Neuraspace partnership

Iridium approves $500M stock buyback, total program reaches $1.5B

SPACE TRAVEL
NASA funds Starfish Space's satellite debris inspection mission

Rocket Lab delivers 2nd Pioneer Spacecraft to Varda for In-Space manufacturing

NASA's Record-Breaking Laser Demo Completes Mission

Transistors and NASA's Radiation Challenge

SPACE TRAVEL
This rocky planet around a white dwarf resembles Earth - 8 billion years from now

Exoplanet map reveals Neptunian Ridge separating planetary regions

WASP-107b reveals new atmospheric features thanks to Webb Telescope

Astronomers catch a glimpse of a uniquely inflated and asymmetric exoplanet

SPACE TRAVEL
Technicians prep Europa Clipper for propellant loading

Volcanoes may help reveal interior heat on Jupiter moon

JunoCam identifies new volcanic feature on Io

Mystery of Trans-Neptunian Orbits Solved by Stellar Flyby

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.