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Crew-9: SpaceX Launches Astronauts To ISS, With 2 Empty Seats In Dragon Reserved For Return Of Stranded Boeing Starliner Crew
September 28, 2024
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SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom atop Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40), Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, at 1717 UTC on Saturday, Sept. 28. Aboard are Crew-9 mission's NASA astronaut colonel and U.S. Space Force colonel Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov; with 2 empty seats reserved for the return next year of Boeing Starliner crewmates Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams who are stuck in the International Space Station(ISS).

The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage, as expected, returned to Earth, landing at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, about 8 minutes after liftoff. The Crew Dragon capsule meanwhile, continued its journey to the space station with which it's scheduled to dock on Sunday (Sept. 29) at 2230 UTC; followed by hatch opening about an hour and 45 minutes later.

"That was a sweet ride," Hague, Crew-9's commander, radioed SpaceX's launch control after reaching orbit with crewmate Gorbunov.

Dragon Freedom has flown three other missions to the ISS: NASA's Crew-4 flight and two commercial trips for Axiom Space, Ax-2 and Ax-3.

Saturday's was the first-ever astronaut launch from SLC-40 -- SpaceX's first Florida launch pad which has seen many uncrewed launches over the years.

The Elon Musk company and NASA spent two years upgrading the SLC-40 with a new crew launch tower, access arm and emergency escape slide to prepare it for astronaut flights.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were taken off Crew-9 mission to make room for Williams and Wilmore.

"I think it was hard not to watch that rocket lift off without thinking, that's my rocket and that's my crew, but I also know that I'm not the only person who can think that," Cardman, Crew-9's original commander, said after watching the launch, her voice breaking at times. "There are many people who made this mission happen, and there are people on orbit who will be taking this capsule home, and it makes me very proud to know that I am one of many people who can say that's my crew."

NASA officials said they will work to reassign Cardman and Wilson to a new mission in the future.

"A crew change is not a small thing," NASA's Deputy Adminstrator Pam Melroy, a former space shuttle commander, said in a post-launch briefing. "It's very hard for Nick and Alex. It's also hard for Zena and Stephanie. But I think it's a reflection of the fact that human spaceflight is complicated and dynamic, and we need to be agile and focus on the mission."

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U.S. Military Airstrike In Southern Caribbean Targets Vessel Allegedly Operated By Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang

The U.S. military on Tuesday, conducted a precision strike in the southern Caribbean against a vessel that had departed from Venezuela and was allegedly operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, a transnational criminal organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. government.

President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, stating that 11 individuals, whom he referred to as "narcoterrorists" or "terrorists," were killed in the strike while the boat was transporting illegal narcotics in international waters. The strike was described as a "kinetic" operation carried out in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.

The U.S. military confirmed a "precision strike" against the vessel. Trump shared a 29-second video clip on Truth Social showing a small, multi-engine speedboat traveling at sea before a bright flash and flames engulfed it. The video is largely in black and white, and Venezuela's Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez falsely suggested it was artificially generated.

No U.S. military personnel were injured in the operation Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the "lethal strike" on X stating it targeted a drug vessel operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.

The Tren de Aragua gang originated over a decade ago within the notoriously violent prison system of Venezuela's Aragua state. It has since expanded its operations across Latin America, including to Chile, Colombia, and the United States, where it is involved in drug smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, sex trafficking, and acts of extreme violence such as beheadings.

The Biden administration designated it a transnational crime organization in 2024. President Trump, upon returning to office, escalated the designation, formally declaring Tren de Aragua a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" in February 2025, a move that is unusual for a criminal gang.

The strike on the vessel occurred amid a significant U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean. In recent weeks, the U.S. has sent at least seven warships, including the nuclear-powered submarine USS Virginia, and over 4,500 Marines and sailors to the region.

This build-up, which includes Aegis guided-missile destroyers like the USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham, is part of the Trump administration's broader strategy to combat drug trafficking from Latin America. The administration has also increased surveillance flights with P-8 spy planes over international waters.

The deployment has been met with strong condemnation from Venezuela, with President Nicolás Maduro calling it an "extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat" and vowing to "declare a republic in arms" if attacked. Maduro has ordered troops to the border with Colombia and urged civilians to join militias in response.

The strike represents a dramatic escalation in the U.S. approach to drug cartels, signaling a willingness to use military force in the Americas.

The U.S. has also offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest on drug-trafficking charges. Despite the military action, the administration has not signaled plans for a land invasion of Venezuela.

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September 03, 2025
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ISS Orbital Altitude Reboost Maneuver By SpaceX Dragon Cargo Spacecraft

SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft (C211) on Wednesday Sept. 3 at about 1815 UTC, successfully completed its first test burn to demonstrate a new capability to help maintain the International Space Station's (ISS) orbital altitude.

This initial maneuver, lasting five minutes and three seconds, used two Draco engines located in the Dragon's trunk to raise the station's orbit by approximately one mile at its lowest point, positioning it in a 420 x 412-kilometer orbit.

The boost kit is expected to provide about a quarter of the propulsion needed annually to maintain the ISS's 418-kilometer-high orbit.

The new capability is enabled by an add-on "boost kit" installed in the Dragon's open-to-space aft trunk section.

This kit includes two Draco engines, six propellant tanks, and a helium pressurization system, forming an independent propellant system separate from the spacecraft's main systems. This hardware allows the Dragon to perform reboosts, a task traditionally handled by Russia's Progress vehicles.

This capability, introduced on the SpaceX CRS-33 mission, is part of NASA's strategy to reduce reliance on Russian vehicles and build fuel reserves for the station's eventual controlled deorbit, a process that will be managed by a future SpaceX-built deorbit vehicle. The Dragon's ability to perform these burns is a significant step towards the station's long-term operations and safe retirement.

This test marks the beginning of a series of planned burns throughout the fall of 2025 to sustain the station's altitude.

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September 03, 2025
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Comedian Graham Linehan Arrested In UK Over Critical Transgender Posts On X

Comedy writer Graham Linehan was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Monday, upon his arrival from Arizona, U.S., by five armed police officers on ridiculous suspicion of 'inciting violence' related to three posts he made on X in April 2025.

The posts that prompted his detention included one from April 20 stating: "If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls."

Another post from April 19 showed an image of a trans rally with the caption: "A photo you can smell."

He subsequently wrote: "I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. Fuck em."

The 57-year-old was taken to a police station, questioned about the posts, and subsequently hospitalized due to a severe spike in blood pressure, which he described as "stroke territory," before being released on bail with a condition prohibiting him from posting on X until a further interview in October.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest and stated that officers became concerned for his health, resulting in the hospital visit, but claimed his condition was neither life-threatening nor life-changing. The arrest was carried out by armed officers from the MPS Aviation Unit.

Linehan described being met by five armed officers immediately after disembarking from his American Airlines flight, escorted to a private area, and informed of his arrest. He was placed in a cell and questioned about the tweets, during which his blood pressure reportedly reached over 200, leading to his transfer to the emergency department at a hospital for observation.

The arrest comes days before Linehan is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 4, 2025, facing two charges: one of harassing transgender activist Sophia Brooks on social media and another of damaging her mobile phone during an October incident. He has denied these charges.

Linehan, is the Irish comedy writer best known for creating the sitcoms Father TedThe IT Crowd, and Black Books. He has become a prominent and outspoken critic of transgender rights movements since around 2018.

The comedian's arrest has sparked significant political and public reaction, with UK opposition politicians, including Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick and Labour backbencher Jonathan Hinder, criticizing the use of five armed officers for an arrest over social media posts, calling it a "ridiculous" waste of police time. Author JK Rowling also condemned the arrest, calling it "totalitarianism" and "deplorable."

Critics on social media slammed UK government for descending into tyranny, especially since the enactment of Britain's controversial Online Safety Act.

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