SpaceX capsule arrives to take stranded astronauts home – but not until February
Astronauts Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov dock at the International Space Station in their SpaceX capsule (NASA via AP)
Sun, 29 Sep, 2024 -
Associated Press reporters
The two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June welcomed their new ride home with Sunday’s arrival of a SpaceX capsule.
SpaceX launched the rescue mission on Saturday with a downsized crew of two astronauts and two empty seats reserved for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will return next year.
The Dragon capsule docked in darkness high over Botswana as the two craft soared 260 miles above Earth.
Nasa switched Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams to SpaceX following concerns over the safety of their Boeing Starliner capsule.
SpaceX capsule Dragon approaches the International Space Station (Nasa via AP)
It was the first Starliner test flight with a crew, and Nasa decided the thruster failures and helium leaks that cropped up after lift-off were too serious and poorly understood to risk the test pilots’ return.
So Starliner returned to Earth empty earlier this month.
The Dragon carrying Nasa’s Nick Hague and the Russian Space Agency’s Alexander Gorbunov will remain at the space station until February, turning what should have been a week-long trip for Wilmore and Williams into a mission lasting more than eight months.
Two Nasa astronauts were pulled from the mission to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return leg.
Nasa likes to replace its station crews every six months or so.
SpaceX has provided the taxi service since the company’s first astronaut flight in 2020.
Nasa also hired Boeing for ferry flights after the space shuttles were retired, but flawed software and other Starliner issues led to years of delays and more than 1.0 billion US dollars in repairs.
Starliner inspections are underway at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre, with post-flight reviews of data set to begin this week.
The arrival of two fresh astronauts means the four who have been up there since March can now return to Earth in their own SpaceX capsule in just over a week.
Their stay was extended a month because of the Starliner turmoil.
Although Saturday’s lift-off went well, SpaceX said the rocket’s spent upper stage ended up outside its targeted impact zone in the Pacific because of a bad engine firing.
It was the first Starliner test flight with a crew, and Nasa decided the thruster failures and helium leaks that cropped up after lift-off were too serious and poorly understood to risk the test pilots’ return.
So Starliner returned to Earth empty earlier this month.
The Dragon carrying Nasa’s Nick Hague and the Russian Space Agency’s Alexander Gorbunov will remain at the space station until February, turning what should have been a week-long trip for Wilmore and Williams into a mission lasting more than eight months.
Two Nasa astronauts were pulled from the mission to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return leg.
Nasa likes to replace its station crews every six months or so.
SpaceX has provided the taxi service since the company’s first astronaut flight in 2020.
Nasa also hired Boeing for ferry flights after the space shuttles were retired, but flawed software and other Starliner issues led to years of delays and more than 1.0 billion US dollars in repairs.
Starliner inspections are underway at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre, with post-flight reviews of data set to begin this week.
The arrival of two fresh astronauts means the four who have been up there since March can now return to Earth in their own SpaceX capsule in just over a week.
Their stay was extended a month because of the Starliner turmoil.
Although Saturday’s lift-off went well, SpaceX said the rocket’s spent upper stage ended up outside its targeted impact zone in the Pacific because of a bad engine firing.
By HT News Desk
Sep 30, 2024
What are the challenges? Are Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore alone inside the ISS?
How long can they endure?
After months of uncertainty, SpaceX Dragon capsule, with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, successfully docked at International Space Station (ISS) as part of efforts to bring back Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
After months of uncertainty, SpaceX Dragon capsule, with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, successfully docked at International Space Station (ISS) as part of efforts to bring back Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
This undated handout picture from Nasa released on July 2, 2024 shows NASA�s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (from top) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station�s Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.(AFP)
SpaceX launched the capsule on Saturday with two empty seats to accommodate Williams and Wilmore on their return journey to Earth in February 2025. Two Crew 9 astronauts-Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman-were removed from the mission, and the capsule was sent with supplies to replenish the ISS.
“Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission,” NASA had said in a statement.
Why won't Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return immediately?
The two astronauts remain safe aboard the ISS, which is also called a permanent ‘home’ in space for scientists deployed for technical research missions. The ISS remains well-stocked and efficiently supplied from time-to-time.
SpaceX is not the only spaceship docked at the ISS. SpaceX Dragon Endeavour (Crew-8 mission), the Northrop Grumman resupply ship, Soyuz MS-25 crew ship, Progress 88 and 89 resupply ships and Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft are other ones currently docked together with the ISS.
Also, Williams and Willmore are not stuck alone inside the ISS. Other fellow astronauts include Oleg Kononenko (Commander), Nikolai Chub, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin.
The crew capsules can also function as ‘lifeboats’ when the astronauts need to abandon the ISS in case of an emergency or threat to safety. Boeing's Starliner also acted as 'lifeboats' for Williams and Willmore before it was hit by thruster failures and helium gas leaks, leaving those two stranded inside ISS. With Starliner landing back on Earth, SpaceX Dragon will be the return vehicle for those two.
The crew capsules can also function as ‘lifeboats’ when the astronauts need to abandon the ISS in case of an emergency or threat to safety. Boeing's Starliner also acted as 'lifeboats' for Williams and Willmore before it was hit by thruster failures and helium gas leaks, leaving those two stranded inside ISS. With Starliner landing back on Earth, SpaceX Dragon will be the return vehicle for those two.
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