Crew 9 mission launched to return Sunita Williams from space

NASA launched its Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today, September 28, 2024, at 10:46 pm IST.

The goal of this mission is to rescue astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 6, 2024 due to complications with their original spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner.

SPACEX LAUNCHES CREW 9 MISSION TO SAVE SUNITA WILLIAMS

The Crew 9 mission will transport NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS.

What is unique is that only two crew members are used on this flight instead of the usual four, as the remaining seats are reserved for the return journey of Williams and Wilmore. The Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS on September 29th.

Williams and Wilmore’s extended stay aboard the ISS was due to technical problems with their Starliner capsule, which experienced multiple helium leaks and engine failures during the docking process.

After careful consideration, NASA deemed it too risky to return the astronauts on the Starliner and opted for an unmanned return of the spacecraft on September 6th.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program was pivotal in facilitating crew rotation to the ISS. The Crew-9 mission marks the ninth operational flight for SpaceX under this program since its launch in 2020.

After returning to Earth, Williams and Wilmore are expected to reunite with Hague and Gorbunov for a five-month science mission aboard the ISS.

In the event of an emergency prior to Crew-9’s arrival, a contingency plan is in place that allows Williams and Wilmore to use the Crew-8 Dragon capsule, currently docked with the ISS, for a rapid evacuation.

Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, acknowledged the challenges the astronauts faced during this extended mission but expressed confidence in their ability to adapt and thrive in space.