Posted on 09/29/2024 6:37:17 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home, but not until next year.
The capsule rocketed into orbit to fetch the test pilots whose Boeing spacecraft returned to Earth empty earlier this month because of safety concerns. The switch in rides left it to NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov to retrieve Needham native Suni Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore.
Because NASA rotates space station crews approximately every six months, this newly launched flight with two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams won’t return until late February. Officials said there wasn’t a way to bring them back earlier on SpaceX without interrupting other scheduled missions.
By the time they return, the pair will have logged more than eight months in space. They expected to be gone just a week when they signed up for Boeing’s first astronaut flight that launched in June.
NASA ultimately decided that Boeing’s Starliner was too risky after a cascade of thruster troubles and helium leaks marred its trip to the orbiting complex. The space agency cut two astronauts from this SpaceX launch to make room on the Dragon capsule’s return leg for Wilmore and Williams.
Wilmore and Williams watched the liftoff via a live link sent to the space station, prompting a cheer of “Go Dragon!” from Williams, NASA deputy program manager Dina Contella said.
Williams has been promoted to commander of the space station, which will soon be back to its normal population of seven. Once Hague and Gorbunov arrive on Sunday, four astronauts living there since March can leave in their own SpaceX capsule. Their homecoming was delayed a month by Starliner’s turmoil.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Prayers up for all.
They have already docked with the space station and had a celebration.
I watched the launch and it was beautiful 😍.
“We’re bringing you your custom new space suits!”
launch (replay)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw-1B24-p4E
docking (live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjstMtKXUhM
Maybe the FAA will dream up some BS reason to keep them from landing as another prissy way to punish Musk for supporting Trump.
And presumably a lot of underwear changes, socks, t-shirts....
everyone is on the station, not stranded
And??
Doesn’t mean I can’t say prayers for them.
Not sure I understand your reply/post, to my “Prayers up for all” post.
Now, if the Hussein/Biden Harris Regime would simply get out of the way with the SuperHeavy Booster/Starship, amazing progress is just around the corner.
AND, SpaceX has been chosen to launch the wonderfully named Europa Clipper soon. The Falcon Heavy (3 Falcon 9s strapped together) will launch it to Europa, one of the more interesting moons of the gas giant Jupiter. While Europa is covered by ice, previous missions have indicated that below the ice, there is a very strong possibility of liquid water.
The spacecraft will perform flybys of Mars and Earth as gravity assists in its 5-6 year journey to Europa. In 2030, the Europa Clipper will arrive and start gathering data.
SpaceX has revolutionized aerospace. They said, over and over, it could not be done. Reusability has driven down the cost of each launch from billions to millions. In some of the previous Falcon Heavy launches, the two side Falcon 9s return and land right near the launch site. The center Falcon 9 lands on an ocean barge, and all three rockets are reused.
The launch window for the Europa Clipper opens on October 10. If weather or other factors arise, there are several weeks of other launch possibilities to still reach Europa.
I imagine the two stranded astronauts will have had their fill of space.
The article says one of the Starliner stranded astronauts, Williams, has been promoted to commander of the space station. So the astronauts trained to spend months working at the station were passed over for one who was only supposed to be there a few days? Seems like a strange decision.
Imagine thinking you’ll only have to use a vacuum style toilet for only 1 week, that’s not so bad… and then discovering you need to vacuum your poop for many more months in space. Yuck!
and while elon rescues NASA’s astronauts marooned because one of NASA’s other contractors can’t make their crap fly in both directions, NASA is suing elon for some environmental report that doesn’t have all of it’s eyes dotted and tees crossed ...
Yep, they probably won't want to go back after this whole mess...
Cool links. Thanks.
Got to promote the female, don’t you know?
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