Additional Coverage:
- SpaceX to launch capsule that will bring two stranded astronauts back from space station (nbcnews.com)
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch two astronauts, NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, to the International Space Station on Saturday.
The Crew-9 mission will join five others on the orbiting lab. Hague and Gorbunov will stay until February, returning with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Wilmore and Williams were originally set to return on Boeing’s Starliner capsule, but due to technical issues, they remained on the space station. The Crew-9 mission was adjusted to accommodate their return.
NASA postponed the Crew-9 launch several times, including due to Hurricane Helene, which brought heavy rain and winds to Florida.
Weather conditions for Saturday’s launch are predicted to be favorable, with a 55% chance of success. The main concerns are atmospheric conditions during the rocket’s ascent.