Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Launches to International Space Station

The two crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission launched at 1:17 p.m. EDT Saturday, for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. This is the first human spaceflight mission launched from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and the agency’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the space station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 29, where Hague and Gorbunov will join Expedition 72 for a five-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

“This mission required a lot of operational and planning flexibility. I congratulate the entire team on a successful launch today, and godspeed to Nick and Aleksandr as they make their way to the space station,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our NASA wizards and our commercial and international partners have shown once again the success that comes from working together and adapting to changing circumstances without sacrificing the safe and professional operations of the International Space Station.”

During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA will provide live coverage of rendezvous, docking, and hatch opening, beginning at 3:30 p.m., Sept. 29, on NASA+ and the agency’s website. NASA also will broadcast the crew welcome ceremony once Hague and Gorbunov are aboard the orbital outpost. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The duo will join the space station’s Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Don Pettit, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time until Crew-8 members Barratt, Dominick, Epps, and Grebenkin depart the space station in early October.

The crewmates will conduct more than 200 scientific investigations, including blood clotting studies, moisture effects on plants grown in space, and vision changes in astronauts during their mission. Following their stay aboard the space station, Hague and Gorbunov will be joined by Williams and Wilmore to return to Earth in February 2025.

With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 23 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign, and beyond.

More about Crew-9

Hague is the commander of Crew-9 and is making his second trip to the orbital outpost since his selection as an astronaut in 2013. He will serve as a mission specialist during Expedition 72/73 aboard the space station. Follow @AstroHague on X and Instagram.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov is flying on his first mission. He will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.

Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

-end-

Josh Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Steven Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie Plucinsky
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.semprott@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov

Leah Cheshier / Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

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Abbey A. Donaldson

The Science of the Perfect Cup for Coffee 

Dr. Hongbin Ma was tired of drinking coffee that had gone cold. Fortunately, Ma, the CEO of ThermAvant Technologies LLC in Columbia, Missouri, was working on a NASA-funded study of phase-change materials, which are used to hold a steady temperature. Materials absorb or release more heat as they transition from solid to liquid or vice versa than they do before or after this phase change.

NASA has long used phase-changing materials to manage temperature extremes in space. The Apollo lunar rover, International Space Station, Orion capsule, and headlights on the newest spacesuit design all utilize phase-change material. As part of his NASA-funded research, Ma tested and recommended a phase-change material that could be used in a spacesuit-cooling system, a modified version of those used in spacecraft.  

A phase-change material needs to transition at the desired temperature, but it also needs to be safe. Paraffin wax and refrigerants are effective but are toxic to humans, which would make a leak hazardous. Ma’s team ultimately recommended a bio-based option for spacesuits.  

Bio-based waxes also proved to be the perfect solution for maintaining optimal temperature for coffee. In this case, it was a beeswax-like soy substance. Ma’s company, ThermAvant Technologies, took the opportunity to infuse the bio-based waxes into a product on Earth.   

Released in 2018, the Burnout Mug is vacuum insulated with the wax called HeatZorb, sealed between the inner and outer shells. The wax is formulated to maintain the ideal temperature for hot drinks over time. As soon as hot liquid goes in, the wax absorbs excess heat and melts, resulting in a drinkable temperature in just a few moments. As the coffee starts to cool, that stored heat is released back into it. 

The company is developing other uses for the same technology to meet unique needs in the medical field. Two in development are a small insulin container and a donor organ transportation box – both of which rely on specific, controlled temperatures. From hot beverages to life-saving medical equipment, NASA’s research continues to drive innovation across industries.  

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