Two stranded astronauts are one step closer to returning home from the International Space Station.
A SpaceX rescue mission took off at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:17 p.m. on Saturday, aiming to eventually bring the two Boeing Starliner astronauts stuck in orbit since June 5 back to Earth.
The launch was the first human spaceflight mission starting at the new launch pad. NASA cleared the two-man crew for the mission aboard SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Friday.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov set off for a five-month science mission on the orbiting laboratory. At the end of that mission, Butch Wilmore and Suni William — who arrived on Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft in June for an 8-day mission — should then be able to hitch a ride back to Earth in February.
NASA’s live video feed showed Hague and Gorbunov’s journey.
When they departed, Hague and Gorbunov were strapped inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft situated atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The launch vehicle then powered on nine engines at its base, propelling the rocket system into the air.
“Once the Crew Dragon capsule reaches orbital speeds, the spacecraft will separate from the Falcon 9’s second stage and begin maneuvering through orbit on its own, using onboard thrusters to adjust its position gradually so it can link up with the International Space Station, expected at about 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday,” CNN reported ahead of the crew’s departure.
Last month, SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets due to help bring William and Wilmore back to Earth were abruptly grounded, days after NASA revealed Elon Musk’s company was picked to help bring the stranded Starliner astronauts back home.
June’s flight was meant to be Starliner’s final test to put Boeing on par with its SpaceX rival after the company poured more than $1.5 billion into its Commercial Crew program.
Instead, Starliner suffered helium leaks before its launch, with officials opting to go through with the flight as the initial problems were deemed too small to pose a threat, only to see the problem get worse once the ship left the atmosphere, with several thrusters experiencing issues as Starliner docked.
