Sat Sep 28 17:40:07 UTC 2024: ## SpaceX Launches Rescue Mission to Bring Home Stranded Astronauts
**Cape Canaveral, FL** – SpaceX successfully launched a rescue mission today, carrying two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) to bring home two American astronauts stranded for months. The Falcon 9 rocket, launching from a new pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, carried NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.
The mission aims to bring back astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, whose stay on the ISS was extended due to problems with their Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft. The Starliner was on its first crewed flight when it delivered Wilmore and Williams to the ISS in June. They were initially scheduled for an eight-day stay, but propulsion system issues during the flight forced NASA to revise their plans.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his excitement about the successful launch, stating, “Congrats to @NASA and @SpaceX on a successful launch. We live in an exciting period of exploration and innovation in the stars.” The astronauts are expected to return to Earth in February, bringing the extended mission to an end.
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