NASA is set to run SpaceX Crew-9 mission on Saturday that will bring astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth after their extended stay on board International Space Station (ISS) from June. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 1:17 PM EDT (10:47 PM IST) from Cape Canaveral Florida Space Force Station.
Live coverage of the launch will begin at 9:00 am EDT (6:30 pm IST) on NASAThe official NASA+ website and YouTube. The Crew-9 mission will be the first crewed launch from Space Launch Complex-40.
The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS around 5:30 p.m. EDT (3:00 a.m. IST) on Monday.
The Crew-9 mission is part of NASA’s mission Sales team program. It includes NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. Originally scheduled for September 26, the launch was postponed due to Hurricane Helena battering Florida’s Gulf Coast.
NASA posted on X that NASA managers and SpaceX discussed the planned Sept. 28 launch of the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station, along with weather updates provided by Space Launch Delta 45.
In another X post, NASA mentioned a live panel on the International Space Station with NASA leaders, where they will answer questions from digital creators attending the Crew-9 Nasa Social event, as well as questions submitted online with the #AskNASA hashtag.
The mission aims to transport Haig and Gorbunov to the ISS for a five-month stay and ensure the safe return of Williams and Wilmore. Haig and Gorbunov will remain on the ISS until February, which coincides with the next crew rotation. Astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were also originally part of the Crew-9 mission, but were removed to make room for the returning astronauts.
Williams and Wilmore traveled to the ISS in June on Boeing’s Starliner capsule for an eight-day mission. However, their stay was extended due to problems with the Starliner’s thrusters. NASA then returns the unmanned Starliner on September 7 for further evaluation.
