A SpaceX capsule reached the International Space Station (ISS) and returned two trapped astronauts.Dragon Capsule Docks at ISS, Rescues Stranded Crew.
Dragon Capsule Successfully Docks at ISS
At 17:30 Eastern time (22:30 BST), the Dragon capsule outfitted with two spare astronaut seats for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had successfully docked. Wilmore and Williams joined Boeing’s new Starliner on an eight-day trip to the ISS in June, but they couldn’t return home as planned due to a problem detected during the flight. They are now expected to return to Earth’s surface in February.
New Crew Members Join the Mission DragonÂ
The Dragon capsule, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, contained NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. The two joined the crew on the ISS and will return from
Potential Violation [ISS], popularly known as Molecular Imaging Center or MCT. Krems and Gollor, Alexander. ISS-2007 A/080 or961 staff. Hurricane Helene recently ravaged Florida and other southeastern parts of the United States. The mission, which was to be launched on Thursday, was shifted due to by Hurricane Helen’s destruction.
Footage of Arrival at ISS
Wilmore, who has a sense of humor, was able to lock the safety latch within the center of the ISS stage. The docking of the two occurred when the ISS was orbiting at a height of 265 miles above Botswana in southern Africa. Pictures taken from within the ISS after the arrival of Hague and Gorbunov showed both looking cheerful and taking pictures with other crew members onboard.
Problems of the Starliner Capsule
On June 5, 2020, SpaceX launched their starliner whStarliners to the last in-depth testing before any astronauts go on board for the first time in space. It is the first time Boeing has sent astronauts to the ISS. The mission had several challenges, such as helium leaks and thruster failure. After months of investigations, Boeing and NASA concluded by the end of August that bringing Wilmore and Williams back using the Starliner would be unsafe. Starliner had already faced delays during the build-up phase, and complaints resurfaced after uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022.
NASA’s Measures to Alleviate Dependence on Russia
On Saturday, the Dragon capsule, launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, contained NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. Both astronauts became part of the ISS and will return Wilmore and Williams to Earth. The team postponed the launch, originally scheduled for Thursday, due to Hurricane Helene, which wreaked havoc across the southeastern U.S., including Florida.
