SpaceX, the private aerospace company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has launched a rescue mission today, carrying two passengers while leaving two seats empty to facilitate the return of American astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for several months, according to NASA.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson had announced that Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will return next February with the SpaceX Crew-9 mission after spending more than 80 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov are on this mission.

When they return from the ISS in February, they will bring back two space veterans—Wilmore and Williams—whose stay on the station has been extended due to ongoing issues with their Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft.

The Starliner, which was making its first crewed flight, had transported Wilmore and Williams to the ISS in June.

On June 5, the two astronauts had arrived at the International Space Station on Boeing’s Starliner for an 8-day mission, but their stay was extended due to major technical issues with the Boeing capsule.

On September 7, Boeing's Starliner Spaceship returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) without the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry E Wilmore who remain in space.