SpaceX launches mission to rescue 2 astronauts

Unlike SpaceX’s regular missions to the ISS under the Commercial Crew Program, the September 28 mission will carry only two astronauts instead of four. The two astronauts brought to the station this time are Nick Hague (NASA) and his colleague Aleksandr Gorbunov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). The remaining two empty seats on the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft will be reserved for astronaut duo Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who will arrive at the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner on June 6.

SpaceX spacecraft to 'rescue' two astronauts stuck on ISS space station

On September 7, the Starliner returned to Earth without its two passengers for safety reasons. According to Space.com, engineers spent months investigating the problems that occurred with the Boeing spacecraft, from helium leaks to problems with the thrusters. Ultimately, NASA concluded that there were too many risks for the spacecraft to face during the journey back to Earth. Therefore, the two astronauts Williams and Wilmore had to stay at the space station to wait for rescue. The fate of the Starliner is currently unknown.

NASA released images of the Crew Dragon Freedom launch on September 28

However, because NASA rotates personnel to the ISS every 6 months, astronauts Wilmore and Williams will have to wait until the end of February to return to Earth with the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft. US officials said there was no other way to bring the two back to Earth sooner without affecting previously planned activities.

That means Wilmore and Williams will spend more than eight months in space, compared to just a week when they agreed to join Boeing’s first crewed flight to the station on the Starliner. The Starliner problems mean NASA is still in the same situation as it was four years ago, when SpaceX was the only company providing astronaut shuttle services to the station. Boeing and SpaceX have both contracted with NASA since 2014 to provide this service. SpaceX began regular flights to the ISS in 2020, while Boeing struggled to meet the contract requirements.

To bring Williams and Wilmore home, NASA decided to use the two original members of Crew-9. Those were two American astronauts Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman, with Cardman being the commander of the mission. Russian member Gorbunov was retained, and Cardman handed over command to her colleague Hague, who had previously been the pilot of the Crew-9 mission. Crew Dragon Freedom successfully docked with the ISS yesterday, according to NASA.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/spacex-tien-hanh-su-menh-giai-cuu-2-phi-hanh-gia-185240929171011867.htm