SpaceX is set to launch two new crew members to the International Space Station in a capsule that will eventually bring home two NASA astronauts who flew to orbit on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The launch is scheduled for Saturday at 1:17 p.m. ET from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The flight, known as Crew-9, will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to join the Expedition 72 crew on the space station. Hague and Gorbunov are expected to stay at the ISS until February and will bring back NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who flew on Boeing’s Starliner but were delayed due to technical issues.
Originally, the Crew-9 flight was supposed to carry four crew members, but two seats were left open for Wilmore and Williams. The launch has been delayed multiple times, including due to Hurricane Helene. NASA has stated that there is a 55% chance of favorable weather conditions for Saturday’s launch, with concerns about atmospheric conditions along the rocket’s path into orbit. Despite the delays and challenges, SpaceX is preparing for the Crew-9 launch and hopes to successfully bring the new crew members to the space station as planned.
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