Two astronauts on a SpaceX mission efficiently docked with the Worldwide House Station (ISS) on Sunday and had been warmly welcomed by the crew, together with Commander Sunita Williams. The second, captured on video, confirmed NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov being greeted with hugs and smiles by their colleagues on the house station.
This mission is particular as a result of Hague and Gorbunov would be the ones to finally carry Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore again to Earth. Wilmore and Williams have been caught on the ISS for months on account of issues with the Boeing spacecraft that was presupposed to return them.
Wilmore and Williams had been initially supposed to remain on the ISS for simply over per week after arriving in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Nevertheless, the Starliner skilled technical points, together with issues with its propulsion system, which made it unsafe for the astronauts to return on it. The spacecraft needed to come again to Earth with out its crew in September, leaving the 2 astronauts stranded in house.
NASA determined that the most secure choice was to attend for SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission to carry them residence. The Crew-9 mission was delayed a number of instances, first to present NASA extra time to check the Starliner and later on account of Hurricane Helene hitting Florida.
A Blissful Arrival
SpaceX launched the Crew-9 mission on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Hague and Gorbunov arrived on the ISS on Sunday and boarded the house station simply after. They had been welcomed with hugs by all the crew, together with Commander Williams, who was visibly joyful to see them.
This was a joyful second for the crew, particularly for Williams and Wilmore, who’ve been ready for a brand new method to get again residence. Williams has taken on additional obligations throughout her prolonged keep on the ISS.
Hague and Gorbunov will spend 5 months aboard the ISS, the place they may participate in additional than 200 scientific experiments. Wilmore and Williams, whose quick mission was an eight-month keep, will return to Earth with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2024.
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy referred to as it “a superb day” in a information convention after the profitable docking. She praised the teamwork and dedication that made the mission attainable.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft had main technical issues throughout its first crewed mission, main NASA to cancel its return flight with the astronauts. This put SpaceX answerable for the rescue mission.
SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, has been usually flying astronauts to the ISS for NASA. Crew-9 marks SpaceX’s tenth mission since 2020, exhibiting the corporate’s rising function in NASA’s house operations.
