SpaceX has initiated its mission to rescue two astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June.
The Dragon capsule, featuring two vacant seats for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday.
The duo’s assignment at the space station was initially slated for approximately eight days; however, following the discovery of a fault in the new Boeing Starliner, it made an empty return to Earth as a safety measure.
Nasa astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov are currently en route with new supplies intended for Butch and Suni, with plans to return them home in February.
The launch of the Dragon spacecraft, originally set for Thursday, has been postponed due to Hurricane Helene’s impact. The storm has caused significant damage across Florida and is moving northward through Georgia and into Tennessee and the Carolinas.
SpaceX, established by billionaire Elon Musk, has been transporting crews to and from the International Space Station every six months.
The Dragon spacecraft is anticipated to arrive at the International Space Station on Sunday at approximately 21:30 GMT.
According to a contract established between NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency, each three-seat Russian Soyuz spacecraft transports one NASA astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) per flight, while a cosmonaut is aboard each four-seat Dragon spacecraft.
