SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday to save two astronauts stranded in Space.

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stuck on the ISS since June aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The mission was expected to be just a week long.

However, several issues on the Starliner aircraft, including malfunctioning thrusters, were so severe that NASA was unwilling to allow the two astronauts back on board because they were not sure if they could be resolved.

Boeing was then pushed to the side for SpaceX, who was sending a Crew-9 mission to the ISS. Two of the original crew were told they would not be put aboard so that Williams and Wilmore could return home.

After NASA decided that SpaceX would complete the return and rescue mission, Boeing employees were reportedly “humiliated,” with some even saying they could not believe SpaceX was chosen to bring back the astronauts that the company had sent to the ISS.

One employee said many at Boeing “hate SpaceX” and “talk sh*t about them all the time.” They then realized that “they’re bailing us out.”

SpaceX bails out Boeing and employees are reportedly ‘humiliated’

The Crew-9 mission will stay on the ISS until early next year, meaning Williams and Wimore will return home in 2025.

Very good to see Suni & Butch’s ride home, safely docked to the Space Station now for the next 6 months. So much work to do up there. Well done @SpaceX & @NASA.
4K video: @sen pic.twitter.com/JY7gOZt0yV

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) September 29, 2024

Crew-9 has a five-month mission aboard the ISS, where they will perform over 200 experiments, NASA said, including ones detailing:

• blood clotting in space
• moisture on plants grown in space
• vision changes on astronauts

NASA detailed the mission in a post:

“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.”

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SpaceX arrives to save astronauts stranded by Boeing on ISS