SpaceX and Boeing Starliner saga continues with Crew-9 launch to ISS
- by Orlando Sentinel
- Sep 29, 2024
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September 28, 2024 at 3:16 p.m.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — It’s not a rescue mission, but the two astronauts left behind by Boeing’s Starliner at the International Space Station will soon welcome their new ride home with the arrival of a SpaceX Crew Dragon that made a historic launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base on Saturday.
A Falcon 9 topped with the Crew Dragon Freedom launched from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:17 p.m. marking the first human spaceflight from the pad, a feat accomplished after SpaceX spent nearly two years building out a new crew tower at the site. All previous SpaceX Crew Dragon launches have been from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A.
The pad’s first two space travelers were NASA astronaut and Space Force Col. Nick Hague flying with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
“It was a sweet ride,” Hague said after Dragon made it into orbit. “I’m pretty sure my youngest son would say it was sigma.”
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
The Falcon 9 booster returns home after the launch — ..NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Photographers document the launch of NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, from the Patrol Road Viewing location on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, on Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches the Crew Dragon Freedom with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches the Crew Dragon Freedom with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches the Crew Dragon Freedom with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches the Crew Dragon Freedom with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches the Crew Dragon Freedom with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Left to Right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, and NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and walk out on their way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, and NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, walk out on their way to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 as part of the Crew-9 mission, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June aboard Boeing's Starliner, but will return home on the Dragon next February. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander waves while on his way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, on his way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Left to Right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, and NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and walk out on their way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander talks with family on his way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander talks with family on his way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Left to Right, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy wait for NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, to walk out on their way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander talks with family on his way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Left to Right, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and Administrator Bill Nelson wave to NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, to walk out on their way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, walk out on their way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander talks with family on his way to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague waves while driving through Kennedy Space Center on his way over to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40, making its debut for human spaceflight on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The SpaceX Crew-9 crew of NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are driven in Teslas past SpaceX's normal launch site at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39-A over to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40, making its debut for human spaceflight on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
The SpaceX Crew-9 crew of NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are driven in Teslas past SpaceX's normal launch site at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39-A over to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40, making its debut for human spaceflight on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
The SpaceX Crew-9 crew of NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are driven in Teslas past SpaceX's normal launch site at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39-A over to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40, making its debut for human spaceflight on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrive to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 ahead of the Crew-9 launch marking the debut human spaceflight for the launch pad on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrive to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 ahead of the Crew-9 launch marking the debut human spaceflight for the launch pad on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrive to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 ahead of the Crew-9 launch marking the debut human spaceflight for the launch pad on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrive to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 ahead of the Crew-9 launch marking the debut human spaceflight for the launch pad on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov with SpaceX support crew and NASA astronaut Volusia County native Luke Delaney make their way to the top of the crew access arm to climb aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom atop a Falcon 9 rocket set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 ahead of the Crew-9 launch marking the debut human spaceflight for the launch pad on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA)
The coundtown clock for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission is seen at the Kennedy Space Center press site with the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Station's Space Launch Complex 40 seen in the distance. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with the Crew Dragon Freedom sits on the pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40. (Courtesy/SpaceX)
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Com-lex 40 awaiting launch on the Crew-9 mission. (Courtesy/SpaceX)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov pose after they arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 as they prepare for their mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
SpaceX Crew-9 members (from left) Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunof from Roscosmos and Commander Nick Hague from NASA pose for an official crew portrait at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. (NASA/Josh Valcarel)
The SpaceX Crew-9 patch features no names on it. (NASA)
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