A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch marked the first crewed mission for the new launch pad and was a unique event because it included two empty seats for the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. These two astronauts were originally meant to return to Earth on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft, but due to propulsion system issues during their flight, NASA decided to bring them back on the SpaceX mission. The launch of Crew-9 was delayed several times due to evaluations of the Starliner spacecraft's reliability and the passage of Hurricane Helene. The SpaceX Dragon vessel will dock with the ISS on Sunday, allowing for a handover of duties before the four members of Crew-8 return to Earth. The mission will also conduct over 200 scientific experiments.