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The SpaceX Crew-9 mission will launch on September 26 to bring NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back from the International Space Station (ISS).
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The mission will have only two astronauts, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, instead of the planned four due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
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The Crew-9 mission will mark the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The countdown has begun for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, scheduled to launch on September 26 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This mission is crucial as it will bring back NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for longer than expected.
The delay is due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which experienced helium leaks and thruster problems during its first crewed mission in June. As a result, NASA altered its plans and reduced the Crew-9 crew to two astronauts – Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Hague and Gorbunov arrived at Kennedy Space Center on September 21 and will serve as commander and mission specialist, respectively. They have been preparing for the mission, including familiarizing Williams and Wilmore with the Dragon spacecraft for their return journey.
The Crew-9 mission will mark the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Hague and Gorbunov will spend approximately five months on the ISS, conducting over 200 science experiments. This mission will also be the first human spaceflight to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
