It's over! SpaceX Dragon Launch to Rescue Starliner's Astronauts… 

It's over! SpaceX Dragon Launch to Rescue Starliner's Astronauts…
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#Q88M #q88m #spacex #starship #elonmusk
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It's over! SpaceX Dragon Launch to Rescue Starliner's Astronauts…
Finally! SpaceX’s rescue mission for NASA astronauts has successfully launched!
Crew 9 is no ordinary mission; this is the moment where SpaceX steps in to complete what Boeing couldn't - bringing the crew of Starliner CFT-1 back to Earth.
So, how was the journey? How did SpaceX and NASA adjust for this special launch?
And, what were the consequences of these changes?
Let’s find out everything in today’s episode!
SpaceX Crew9, just as its name suggests, marks the ninth flight under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The mission utilized the Dragon Freedom spacecraft, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket with booster B1085.
It's over! SpaceX Dragon Launch to Rescue Starliner's Astronauts…
On September 28, 2024, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the clock struck 17:17:21 UTC. Despite a less-than-ideal weather forecast, with a 45% chance of violating launch conditions-mainly due to threatening rain clouds-the crew was determined to carry out the mission.
In an impressive feat of precision, they successfully “threaded the needle” through the ominous clouds, allowing the launch to proceed as planned.
At an altitude of 70 km, the Falcon 9's first stage, Booster 1085, separated and began its journey back to Earth. While the second stage pushed Dragon into orbit, Booster 1085 executed a flawless landing at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station just 7 minutes and 36 seconds after liftoff-marking its second successful flight.
It's over! SpaceX Dragon Launch to Rescue Starliner's Astronauts…
Meanwhile, the Falcon 9’s second stage continued its critical task, propelling the Dragon to an altitude of 200 km before separating and leaving the spacecraft to cruise freely toward the International Space Station (ISS).
Finally, the Crew-9 astronauts were ready to settle into their new orbital home around 7:15 PM ET.
Look at the stunning sight of Freedom docked at the ISS! It’s a breathtaking image that feels like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. As Elon Musk tweeted, "It’s real, but looks like CGI.”
Truly spectacular.
And what makes this flight particularly captivating for the public and the media? It’s a rescue mission.
It's so curious that even up to this point, NASA officials have been adamantly avoiding the term 'rescue.' Steve Stich emphasized during a press conference: "I really look at it as a crew rotation mission where we rotate the crews. We just happen to have two crewmembers already there a little early”
This sounds like a bit of an excuse, a somewhat forced downplaying of the situation.