Sunita Williams ‘Rescue Mission’: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Mission Launches Today | Where to Watch Live

New Delhi: With an aim to bring back Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore safely to Earth, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is all set for the highly-anticipated launch of SpaceX Crew-9 mission on Saturday, September 28.

The latest journey to the International Space Station will be kicked off by two space crew members. The launch of the space mission was initially scheduled for September 26 but it was delayed due to Hurricane Helene. 

After several delays and obstructions, SpaceX's Crew-9 mission is set to launch at 1.17 PM ET (10:47pm Indian Standard Time) on Saturday, September 28, if the weather permits the takeoff. The spacecraft will lift off from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the space station at around 5:30 pm EDT on Monday. 

Live Link to Watch the Launch

The live coverage of the event will start at 9.10am EDT on NASA's official website, NASA+, and YouTube. According to NASA, the Crew-9 will be the first human spaceflight mission to launch from the pad, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, to the orbiting laboratory for a five-month science mission.

“We moved to a different pad, Space Launch Complex-40, and it’s great to have that flexibility to be able to use Launch Pad 39A or Space Launch Complex-40 for launches,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. “I’m so proud of the commercial crew team, the International Space Station team, and our partners at SpaceX and the work they’ve done to prepare for launch.”

In a post on X, NASA had wrote "managers from NASA and SpaceX were discussing the planned September 28 launch of the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station, along with a weather update provided by Space Launch Delta 45."

The Crew 9 astronauts will have a long stay at ISS and are expected to bring Wilmore, and Williams back along with them to Earth in February next year.

All about Crew 9 astronauts

Nick Hague

Nick Hague is a NASA astronaut and a U.S. Space Force Colonel, selected by NASA in 2013. Reflecting on his journey, Hague shared in a NASA podcast, “It took me about 38 years before I was selected.”

A Kansas native, Hague holds a B.S. in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. His interests include exercise, flying, skiing, and scuba diving. A lifelong sci-fi fan, Hague credits ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Star Trek,’ and ‘Doctor Who’ for inspiring his childhood dream of space exploration.

Aleksandr Gorbunov

Aleksandr Gorbunov, a Russian cosmonaut, will make his first trip to space as Crew-9’s mission specialist. He will also serve as a flight engineer aboard the ISS during Expeditions 71 and 72.

Born in Zheleznogorsk, Russia, Gorbunov studied spacecraft and upper-stage engineering at the Moscow Aviation Institute and started his career at RSC Energia, a key manufacturer of Russian spacecraft. He worked there until his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018 and also supported cargo launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome.