SpaceX and Boeing Starliner saga continues with Crew-9 launch to ISS

Crew Dragon Freedom made a historic launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base on Saturday .

SpaceX spent nearly two years building out a new crew tower at the site.

Crew Dragon now has about a 28-hour ride to rendezvous with the ISS and join the nine people already on the station.

The mission flew with just two instead of four so that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams could have a ride home when the Crew-9 mission ends in February 2025 .

The Crew-9 patch for the mission was adjusted to remove the original four names slated to fly.

KSC ’s white room in comparison, is getting crowded, now with 54 signatures from the 14 previous Crew Dragon missions flown with humans since May 2000 .

This is only the second time Dragon has flown with just two crew.

“We know each other and we’re professionals, and we step up and do what’s asked of us, so I’m looking forward to working with them, and I think we’re going to pull together without a problem,” he said. 2024 Orlando Sentinel . Visit orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency , LLC ..