SpaceX Launches Rescue Mission for 2 NASA Astronauts Who Are Stuck in Space Until Next Year

Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov (L) and NASA astronaut Nick Hague wave as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to Launch Complex 40 for a mission to the International Space Station, at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on. Sept. 28, 2024. John Raoux/AP Photo

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.

The capsule rocketed toward orbit to fetch the test pilots whose Boeing spacecraft returned to Earth empty earlier this month because of safety concerns. The switch in rides left it to NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.