SpaceX launches relief mission for stranded NASA astronauts

NASA’s beleaguered mission to rescue two stranded astronauts has finally launched, setting the stage for a happy ending to the nine-month-long saga.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Friday night. Its mission is to transport four new astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

The fresh crew is expected to reach the station by Saturday. Upon arrival, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will, at last, be able to return to Earth around March 19.

Williams and Wilmore have been stuck in orbit since June 5. There have been claims by SpaceX owner Elon Musk and others that the duo was marooned on the ISS due to political motives.

The duo were initially scheduled for an eight day mission. 

Musk said he offered to bring the astronauts home eight months ago, but the Biden Administration shot it down because it would’ve made Donald Trump ‘look good’ in the presidential race against former vice president Kamala Harris. 

The successful takeoff comes after the Crew-10 mission was scrubbed on the launch pad due to mechanical issues just minutes before launch on Wednesday.

Crew-10 includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov.

Alongside Williams and Wilmore, NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Aleksandr Gorbunov will be returning home on board SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon capsule that is already docked at the ISS.

NASA 's beleaguered mission to rescue two stranded astronauts finally successfully launched on Friday

NASA ‘s beleaguered mission to rescue two stranded astronauts finally successfully launched on Friday

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission will replace Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and two other astronauts aboard the International Space Station with four new crewmembers

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission will replace Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and two other astronauts aboard the International Space Station with four new crewmembers

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were original scheduled for an eight-day mission, but were forced to stay after technical issues plagued the Boeing’s Starliner that brought them to the ISS

The launch was initially scrubbed on Wednesday due to a hydraulic system issue with the SpaceX rocket carrying the new astronauts to space

The launch was initially scrubbed on Wednesday due to a hydraulic system issue with the SpaceX rocket carrying the new astronauts to space

Last year’s presidential race seems to be at the heart of why the astronauts have been stuck in space so long. 

Musk backed Trump during the 2024 presidential race, donating $288 million to his campaign and appearing at several MAGA rallies

During a recent press briefing, Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of the NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, admitted that there ‘may have been conversations’ in the Biden White House about delaying the return for political optics of having Trump’s most famous donor save the day, but he was not part of the discussions.

Wednesday’s Crew-10 launch was called off due to a hydraulic system issue with the Falcon 9 rocket. NASA said teams were working to address the problem.

NASA had moved up the return mission by two weeks after after President Trump told Musk to ‘go get’ Williams and Wilmore. 

Before the president’s request, the astronauts were not coming back earlier than March 26. 

‘It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,’ Williams said of her family. 

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, carrying NASA's Crew-10 astronauts to the International Space Station

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, carrying NASA’s Crew-10 astronauts to the International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 crew members Cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia, Pilot Nichole Ayers and Commander Anne McClain of U.S., and Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of Japan's JAXA

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 crew members Cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia, Pilot Nichole Ayers and Commander Anne McClain of U.S., and Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of Japan’s JAXA

‘We’re here, we have a mission – we’re just doing what we do every day, and every day is interesting because we’re up in space and it’s a lot of fun.’ 

When the new crew arrives aboard the station, Wilmore, Williams, Nick Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov can return to Earth in the capsule that has been attached to the station since September.

Wilmore and Williams flew to the ISS as the first test crew of Boeing’s Starliner, which suffered propulsion system issues in space.

NASA deemed it too risky for the astronauts to fly home on the Boeing craft. This led to the current plan to bring them home in a SpaceX capsule that arrived in September.

The space agency gave Boeing $4.5 billion contract to develop Starliner in a bid to compete with Musk’s SpaceX.

Bowersox said that SpaceX ‘helped with a lot of options’ for bringing Williams and Wilmore back earlier, but the final decision came down to costs.

He explained that they discussed adding a mission or bringing the currently docked capsule home early, ‘but we ruled them out pretty quickly just based on how much money we’ve got in our budget.’ 

NASA’s budget for the fiscal year 2024 comes in at just under $30 billion.

President Donald Trump helps ÿ A-Xii, the son of White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, up the stairs of Marine One on the South Lawn

President Donald Trump helps ÿ A-Xii, the son of White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, up the stairs of Marine One on the South Lawn

White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller walk towards Marine One on the South Lawn to join U.S. President Donald Trump

White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller walk towards Marine One on the South Lawn to join U.S. President Donald Trump

It comes after a report found the agency spent millions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) grants and contracts while Williams and Wilmore have been stuck in space.

Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president for SpaceX, also said that NASA’s delayed plan allowed the agency ‘to use Sunny and Butch in a very productive manner’ and ‘keep the science going.’

Returning the astronauts early would’ve meant fewer bodies on the International Space Station (ISS) to continue research.

You May Also Like
ICE arrests in Chicago: Leaders call for investigation after multiple taken into custody in South Loop after receiving texts

After Receiving Texts, Multiple Individuals in South Loop Taken into ICE Custody in Chicago: Leaders Urge Investigation

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago leaders are demanding an investigation after agents detained…
Jury deliberations begin in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial in New York City

Start of jury deliberations in the retrial of Harvey Weinstein’s sex crimes in New York City

In New York, the jury began deliberating Harvey Weinstein’s retrial for sex…
Taylor Swift's WEDDING DAY revenge revealed! MAUREEN CALLAHAN knows why Blake Lively must be terrified

“The Truth Behind Taylor Swift’s Revenge on Her Wedding Day: Insights from Maureen Callahan on Blake Lively’s Fear”

Only the loss of one person, it seems, is enough to knock…
What is happening to job corps? Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration dismantling of program, including Chicago site

Federal judge temporarily halts Trump administration’s efforts to shut down Job Corps program, including facility in Chicago.

CHICAGO (WLS) — A federal judge in New York on Thursday issued…
Who Plays Santi In ‘Stick’ On Apple TV+? Meet Peter Dager

Meet Peter Dager, the Actor Playing Santi in the Series ‘Stick’ on Apple TV+

Stick is a fresh comedy on Apple TV+ that will soon become…
Cruise Shares Incredible Story of How He Landed ‘Rain Man,’ Hints at Life After ‘Mission: Impossible’

Tom Cruise Sets New World Record in Entertainment Industry

During the filming of the last installment of the “Mission: Impossible” series,…
Education Secretary McMahon: Columbia University Violated Federal Civil Rights Law During Protests

Education Secretary McMahon says Columbia University broke federal civil rights law in protests

The Department of Education (ED) under President Trump seems to be on…
Germany's Merz to 'adapt' to Trump during high-stakes meeting on tariffs, defense

Navigating Implications: Merz’s Approach to Trump in Crucial Discussion on Trade and Defense

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz,…
Former First Lady Michelle Obama speaks out after daughter Malia drops last name: 'She's trying to make her way'

Michelle Obama shares her thoughts on daughter Malia’s decision to drop her last name

Former first lady Michelle Obama said she and her husband, Barack, respect…
IDF Arming ISIS-Linked Groups in Gaza

Israeli Defense Forces Providing Weapons to ISIS-Affiliated Groups in Gaza

Last Updated on June 5, 2025 On June 5, 2025, Avigdor Lieberman,…
Netanyahu coalition threatened by conscription standoff with religious parties

Netanyahu’s government in danger due to dispute over military service with religious parties

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A deepening political crisis…
Luigi Mangione evidence bombshell as his intimate diary entries are revealed

Luigi Mangione’s shocking discovery as his personal journal entries are exposed

The bombshell diary entries of Luigi Mangione have been made public, revealing…