SpaceX has launched a two-person crew to the International Space Station (ISS), marking the beginning of a mission to bring back two NASA astronauts stranded in orbit after traveling on Boeing Co.’s Starliner spacecraft.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon just after 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Crew-9 capsule docked with the ISS around 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, and Hague and Gorbunov entered the station about 90 minutes later.
Two empty seats were reserved for NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who will occupy them when the spacecraft returns to Earth next year.
Originally, the Crew-9 mission was intended to carry four crew members, but NASA removed two astronauts to make space for Wilmore and Williams after technical issues arose with Boeing’s Starliner. Astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson gave up their spots to ensure their colleagues could safely return home.
“We will find new missions for them,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, during a Friday press briefing. “We deeply appreciate their willingness to step aside and wait a bit longer for their chance.”
Wilmore and Williams have been aboard the ISS since June 6, having arrived via Starliner. During their docking, Starliner experienced several technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster failures, which led NASA to determine it was too risky to bring them back on the same spacecraft. As a result, NASA and Boeing opted to return Starliner without crew on September 6, landing safely under parachutes in New Mexico.
“When Starliner landed safely, it was great to see it return,” Wilmore said during a September 13 press briefing from the ISS.
SpaceX’s crewed missions for NASA typically last about six months, with this particular Crew Dragon scheduled to return in February. Wilmore and Williams’ original flight on Starliner was only intended to last about a week.
“We always miss our families. I miss my two dogs; I miss my friends,” Williams shared earlier this month. “The messages we receive from Earth make us feel connected and at home, even up here in space.”
