NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s rescue mission is set to launch on September 26 with astronauts Nick Hague, commander and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist. NASA, SpaceX, and international partners wrapped up a Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the upcoming Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station. The earliest launch window is set for 11.30 pm IST on September 26. However, teams are closely tracking potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, which is moving toward the Gulf of Mexico and Florida's west coast, to assess any impact on the launch.
The review confirmed that SpaceX’s crew transportation system, the space station, and its partners are prepared for the Crew-9 launch and Crew-8’s return, pending favourable weather, as well as the completion of the dress rehearsal and static fire test.
According to NASA, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set for a static fire test and final dress rehearsal on September 24, at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The crew's mission is expected to last five months. They'll carry out over 200 scientific experiments before returning to Earth with Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. Notably, the launch will be streamed live online on YouTube, NASA+ and the company’s official website. In other news, Williams has officially taken over as the commander of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 72.
The two astronauts have been stranded in space since June due to a faulty space capsule. Boeing's Starliner experienced several delays and setbacks in recent years. The spacecraft's first crewed mission, which took off on June 5 and carried astronauts Williams and Wilmore, was marred by technical problems. Five of Starliner's 28 thrusters malfunctioned, and several helium leaks were discovered. Although the spacecraft managed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS), NASA and Boeing deemed it unsafe for the astronauts to return aboard. The Starliner flew back to Earth uncrewed earlier this month.