SpaceX launches mission to space station that will bring back stranded NASA astronauts next year

SpaceX connected Saturday launched a Falcon rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, connected Saturday with 2 unit members connected committee to present the Dragon capsule to the International Space Station that volition bring backmost the astronauts stranded by their troubled Boeing Starliner adjacent year. 

In June, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched connected the Starliner, which suffered thruster problems and helium leaks, leaving the abstraction bureau to reason returning them to Earth successful the capsule aft what was expected to beryllium an eight-day ngo was excessively risky. 

The crewless Starliner yet landed successful New Mexico earlier this month, portion Wilmore and Williams remained connected the abstraction station. 

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov launched from the Kennedy Space Center connected Saturday’s ngo with 2 bare seats connected Dragon that volition bring Wilmore and Williams location successful February. 

BOEING STARLINER UNDOCKS FROM SPACE STATION, HEADS BACK TO EARTH UNMANNED AS CREW STAYS BEHIND

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a unit of 2 lifts disconnected from motorboat pad 40 astatine the Kennedy Space Center successful Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Two astronauts were chopped from the SpaceX ngo to marque country for Wilmore and Williams. 

Once Hague and Gorbunov get astatine the abstraction presumption Sunday afternoon, 4 different astronauts who were delayed a period by Starliner’s problems volition instrumentality to Earth successful their ain SpaceX capsule. 

"There’s ever thing that is changing," Hague said earlier the motorboat of the evolving quality of abstraction missions. "Maybe this clip it’s been a small much disposable to the public."

NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov permission the Operations and Checkout gathering for a travel to the motorboat pad 40 astatine Kennedy Space Center successful Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday.  (AP Photo/Chris O'Mearaj)

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy called "human spaceflight" "complicated and dynamic" astatine a post-launch quality league Saturday. 

"What a fabulous time it was today," she said. "We lone person 2 unit members alternatively of four. A unit subordinate alteration is not a tiny thing."

She added that "it was the close happening to do."

NASA ASTRONAUT SAYS STARLINER CREW LIKELY TO CHANGE EXERCISE ROUTINE DURING EXTENDED ISS STAY 

Melroy said the 2 astronauts who were chopped from the ngo were determination to emotionally enactment Hague and Gorbunov astatine the launch. 

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, some Expedition 71 Flight Engineers, marque pizza aboard the International Space Station's galley located wrong the Unity module connected Sept. 9.  (NASA via AP)

"The International Space Station is unbelievable, it’s a truly peculiar place," she added, saying it "allows radical to "look beyond gravity" and to physique technologies to research the full star system.

After they scope the abstraction station, Hague and Gorbunov volition beryllium doing hundreds of "exciting experiments," including studying quality cells and humor clotting.

Dana Hutcherson, lawman programme manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said helium was "pleased to study Nick and Aleksandr are safely successful orbit" aft an "incredibly smooth" motorboat and are expected to onshore astatine the abstraction presumption astir 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday. 

Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, and NASA astronaut Nick Hague question wrong a SpaceX capsule en way to the International Space Station aft launching from the Kennedy Space Center successful Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday. (NASA via AP)

"The unit is getting retired of their suits astatine this time," Hutcherson said, adding that Gorbunov and Hague would beryllium getting immoderate remainder and a repast successful the capsule earlier preparing for docking operations."

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After docking connected the ISS, they’re expected to person a invited ceremony. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.