SpaceX Launches Crew-9 Mission for NASA

SpaceX is set to launch its Crew-9 mission on Saturday, aimed at reuniting two astronauts from Boeing's Starliner with the spacecraft for their return. The mission, which follows a delay due to Hurricane Helene, will be launched from Cape Canaveral at 1:17 p.m. EDT, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hack and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Korbunov. Significant upgrades to the Crew Dragon spacecraft have been made to enhance safety, including the ability to fire thrusters for emergency landings. Despite challenges such as strong winds and technical issues encountered during preparations, the launch is expected to proceed as planned. Crew-9 represents the first piloted flight from the newly upgraded pad 40, which now features enhanced safety equipment for astronaut missions. This mission is part of NASA’s initiative to safely return the Starliner astronauts back to Earth in February 2025.