While SpaceX Rocket launches are not exactly a rarity, the targeted Saturday launch of a SpaceX Crew Dragon vessel is unique: It is phase 1 of returning the two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station back to Earth.
Apart from further delays, as Helene Helene is carrying down on Florida, NASA Crew-9 launch is named because it is the ninth commercial crew-planned until 10 p.m. 13:17 A Saturday, September 28 with a backup launch time at 1 p.m. 12:54 A Sunday September 29 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Two astronauts go to ISS with an expected return in February with Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who arrived in the ISS in June via a Boeing Starliner capsule about what should be an eight-day mission.
SpaceX collaborates with NASA on the mission, after moving its Dragon -Rum Transport to where the mission will begin. Crew Dragon Freedom previously flew on a crew-4 mission to ISS in 2022 and performed two previous private missions.
Who will be on board?
Thursday’s mission has a two-person crew: NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who will act as commander, and Russian Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, Mission Specialist. Crew-9’s four-person team was cut in half to meet the return of Williams and Wilmore.
The Hague turned 50 on Tuesday and Gorbunov is 39. He was the US space force director of testing and evaluation from 2020 to 2022 before returning to NASA to work on the Boeing Starliner program. Gorbunov was chosen as a cosmonaut in 2018 and has worked in various engineering roles.
Where to see the launch
The NASA Plus Web site, Agency’s YouTube channel and NASA’s livestream page are your best bets to watch the launch, but you can be sure SpaceX will also send updates and streams. Launch’s live webcast begins an hour before Liftoff.
For those who want to see it personally, there are general access and premium tickets to look at the Kennedy Space Center.
NASA sees closely Hurricane Helene for any potential effect it might have on the launch, which was originally scheduled for Thursday 26 September. Check NASA’s commercial crew blog or revise this post as we continue to update with information if the launch date changes.
What happened to Boeing Starliner?
After several mechanical problems, including helium leaks, were detected with the vessel after Williams and Wilmore arrived in ISS, it was considered risky for them to return to Earth at Boeing Starliner. NASA returned Starliner without crew and landed it safely in New Mexico on September 6.
The decision to involve SpaceX in the rescue mission shows that NASA is becoming more and more dependent on the help of commercial space companies. This is also the second time in just a year that NASA has left staff at ISS longer than planned. As Space.com points out, astronaut Frank Rubio spent more than a year on the ISS when a coolant leakage prevented a Russian Soyuz room vessel from turning him home.
What will the crew do until February?
NASA says the astronauts on ISS will continue to investigate demonstrations and technological demonstrations and perform maintenance activities while in orbiting the space station.
After several days after what NASA calls “delivery activity”, astronauts already on the ISS are, including Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin from the Crew-8 Wlll Disuncark from the space station and sprinkled into Florida.
After the Hague and Gorbunov arrive, ISS will have additional visitors. Over the coming months, a SpaceX Resupply mission and NASAS SpaceX Crew-10 as well as Cosmonaut Cargo delivery tasks will arrive.