SpaceX conducted a rescue mission for two stranded astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday. The mission involved sending a downsized crew to bring them back to Earth, but they will not return until next year.
The capsule carrying the test pilots was launched to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were left stranded at the space station after their Boeing spacecraft encountered safety concerns on its return to Earth earlier this month.
Due to NASA’s rotation schedule for space station crews, the crew launched in this mission with two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams will not return until late February. NASA officials explained that bringing them back earlier on SpaceX would have disrupted other scheduled missions.
By the time Wilmore and Williams return, they will have spent over eight months in space, far longer than they had initially anticipated. Originally, they had signed up for Boeing’s first astronaut flight in June, expecting to be away for just a week.
After encountering multiple technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, NASA decided to switch to SpaceX for the rescue mission. This change led to the removal of two astronauts from the SpaceX flight to accommodate Wilmore and Williams on the return trip.
Williams has been promoted to commander of the space station, which will soon be back to its normal population of seven astronauts. Once the crew arrives this weekend, the four astronauts who have been at the space station since March can return home in their own SpaceX capsule, following a delay due to Starliner’s issues.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who was chosen to lead the rescue mission, emphasized the ever-changing nature of human spaceflight. He highlighted the challenges of launching with a partial crew and returning with astronauts trained on a different spacecraft.
SpaceX has been a key player in NASA’s commercial crew program, surpassing Boeing in delivering astronauts to the space station in 2020. Boeing has faced challenges with its Starliner spacecraft, including a recent test flight that had to be repeated.
The latest SpaceX liftoff, delayed by a hurricane, marked the first time astronauts were launched from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX’s successful track record in crew flights for NASA has solidified its position in the commercial spaceflight industry.
By Marcia Dunn
