SpaceX launches rescue mission for two NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year

Marcia Dunn, Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — SpaceX launched a rescue ngo for nan 2 stuck astronauts astatine nan International Space Station connected Saturday, sending up a downsized unit to bring them location but not until adjacent year.

The capsule rocketed into orbit to fetch nan trial pilots whose Boeing spacecraft returned to Earth quiet earlier this period because of information concerns. The move successful rides near it to NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

Because NASA rotates abstraction position crews astir each six months, this recently launched formation pinch 2 quiet seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams won’t return until precocious February. Officials said location wasn’t a measurement to bring them backmost earlier connected SpaceX without interrupting different scheduled missions.

By nan clip they return, nan brace will person logged much than 8 months successful space. They expected to beryllium gone conscionable a week erstwhile they signed up for Boeing’s first astronaut formation that launched successful June.

NASA yet decided that Boeing’s Starliner was excessively risky aft a cascade of thruster troubles and helium leaks marred its travel to nan orbiting complex. The abstraction agency trim 2 astronauts from this SpaceX motorboat to make room connected nan Dragon capsule’s return limb for Wilmore and Williams.

Wilmore and Williams watched nan liftoff via a unrecorded nexus sent to nan abstraction station, prompting a cheer of “Go Dragon!” from Williams, NASA lawman programme head Dina Contella said.

Williams has been promoted to commandant of nan abstraction station, which will soon beryllium backmost to its normal organization of seven. Once Hague and Gorbunov get connected Sunday, 4 astronauts surviving location since March tin time off successful their ain SpaceX capsule. Their homecoming was delayed a period by Starliner’s turmoil.

In this image released by NASA, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, some Expedition 71 Flight Engineers, make pizza aboard nan International Space Station’s galley located wrong nan Unity module connected Sept. 9, 2024. Items are attached to nan galley utilizing portion and velcro to support them from flying distant successful nan microgravity environment. | NASA via Associated Press

Hague noted earlier nan formation that alteration is nan 1 changeless successful quality spaceflight.

“There’s ever thing that is changing. Maybe this clip it’s been a small much visible to nan public,” he said.

Hague was thrust into nan commander’s occupation for nan rescue ngo based connected his acquisition and handling of a motorboat emergency six years ago. The Russian rocket grounded soon aft liftoff, and nan capsule carrying him and a cosmonaut catapulted disconnected nan apical to safety.

Rookie NASA astronaut Zena Cardman and seasoned abstraction flier Stephanie Wilson were pulled from this formation aft NASA opted to spell pinch SpaceX to bring nan stuck astronauts home. Promised a early abstraction mission, some were astatine NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, taking portion successful nan motorboat livestream. Gorbunov remained connected nan formation nether an speech statement betwixt NASA and nan Russian Space Agency.

“Every crewed motorboat that I person ever watched has really brought maine a batch of emotion. This 1 coming was particularly unique,” a teary-eyed Cardman said pursuing nan early day liftoff. “It was difficult not to watch that rocket assistance disconnected without thinking, ‘That’s my rocket and that’s my crew.’ ”

Moments earlier liftoff, Hague paid tribute to his 2 colleagues near behind: “Unbreakable. We did it together.” Once successful orbit, he called it a ”sweet ride” and thanked everyone who made it possible.

Earlier, Hague acknowledged nan challenges of launching pinch half a unit and returning pinch 2 astronauts trained connected different spacecraft.

“We’ve sewage a move situation up of us,” Hague said aft arriving from Houston past weekend. “We cognize each different and we’re professionals and we measurement up and do what’s asked of us.”

SpaceX has agelong been nan leader successful NASA’s commercialized unit program, established arsenic nan abstraction shuttles were retiring much than a decade ago. SpaceX hit Boeing successful delivering astronauts to nan abstraction position successful 2020, and it is now up to 10 unit flights for NASA.

Boeing has struggled pinch a assortment of issues complete nan years, repeating a Starliner trial formation pinch nary 1 connected committee aft nan first 1 veered disconnected course. The Starliner that near Wilmore and Williams successful abstraction landed without immoderate issues successful nan New Mexico godforsaken connected Sept. 6, and has since returned to Kennedy Space Center. A week ago, Boeing’s defense and abstraction main was replaced.

Delayed by Hurricane Helene pounding Florida, nan latest SpaceX liftoff marked nan first for astronauts from Launch Complex 40 astatine Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX took complete nan aged Titan rocket pad astir 2 decades agone and utilized it for outer and position cargo launches, while flying crews from Kennedy’s erstwhile Apollo and shuttle pad adjacent door. The institution wanted much elasticity arsenic much Falcon rockets soared.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from nan Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for each content.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket pinch a unit of 2 lifts disconnected from motorboat pad 40 astatine nan Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 astatine Cape Canaveral, Fla. | John Raoux, Associated Press