Sunita Williams Rescue Mission Launch Tonight

Tonight, NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the Crew-9 mission, aiming to safely return veteran astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS). Originally scheduled for September 26, the launch was postponed due to adverse weather conditions caused by Hurricane Helene impacting the Gulf Coast of Florida. The new launch time is September 28 at 10:47 PM IST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

This mission is significant as NASA’s Flight Readiness Review has confirmed that all systems are ready. The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are fully prepared for this critical mission. NASA astronaut Nick Hague will command the Crew-9 mission, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov serving as mission specialist.

The Crew-9 spacecraft will transport Hague and Gorbunov to the ISS for a five-month mission, during which they will conduct over 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations. This mission also plays a crucial role for Williams and Wilmore, who were initially stranded on the ISS due to thruster issues with their Starliner capsule.

The Crew-9 launch marks a historic moment as it is the first crewed launch from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex-40. Once launched, Crew-9 is expected to dock with the ISS around 5:30 PM EDT, concluding a vital mission aimed at ensuring a safe return for Williams and Wilmore, who have been aboard the ISS since June.