SpaceX Launches Mission to Retrieve Stranded Astronauts After 9-Month ISS Stay

The Crew Dragon capsule will bring two U.S. astronauts back to Earth while delivering a new team to the space station.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center, sending the Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission aims to bring back U.S. astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been on the ISS for nearly 10 months due to technical issues with their original Starliner spacecraft.
Crew Dragon is carrying four new crew members—two U.S. astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and a Japanese astronaut—to replace the current team aboard the ISS.
The launch was delayed from its initial Wednesday schedule due to hydraulic system issues, which were subsequently resolved.
The extended stay of Williams and Wilmore has drawn political attention, with claims of mismanagement by previous U.S. administrations causing controversy in the space community.