SpaceX Launches Mission to Rescue Two Astronauts Stranded on ISS for Nine Months

NASA's Crew 10 mission, delayed earlier this week, aims to bring back astronauts after Boeing spacecraft propulsion issues extended their stay.

NASA's Crew 10 mission launched Friday from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket after resolving a ground system issue that delayed the initial Wednesday launch.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been on the International Space Station since June, far beyond their planned eight-day mission due to propulsion failures in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
The two astronauts are expected to return to Earth as early as Wednesday aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, following a brief handover with the newly arrived Crew 10 team.
The situation has drawn political attention, with President Donald Trump accusing former President Joe Biden of neglecting the stranded astronauts, while Elon Musk, now a Trump advisor, criticized NASA's handling of the rescue timeline.
The new Crew 10 team includes American, Japanese, and Russian astronauts, continuing collaborative space efforts despite geopolitical tensions such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.