A SpaceX rocket was observed across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Texas, on July 22, 2024, photographed by Veronica Cardenas for Reuters.
SpaceX has initiated a rescue mission for two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, launched on Saturday, involved a reduced crew tasked with bringing the astronauts back to Earth, but the return is not expected until next year.
The mission deployed a capsule that headed towards orbit to retrieve test pilots Wilmore and Suni Williams. Their Boeing spacecraft had returned to Earth earlier in the month without them due to safety concerns, leaving the task to NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov.
NASA’s current rotation of space station crews typically spans six months. Consequently, the newly launched mission, which includes two vacant seats for Wilmore and Williams, is planned to return in late February. Officials have indicated that it was not feasible to bring them back sooner without delaying other scheduled missions.
When they return, Wilmore and Williams will have spent over eight months in space, although their initial mission duration was anticipated to be just one week following Boeing’s first astronaut flight in June.
Safety concerns surrounding Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, particularly regarding thruster issues and helium leaks, led NASA to deem it too risky. As a result, NASA reduced the SpaceX crew for this mission to accommodate the return of Wilmore and Williams.
Wilmore has since been promoted to commander of the ISS, which will soon resume its typical population of seven. Hague and Gorbunov’s arrival this weekend will enable the departure of four astronauts who have been on the station since March. This group’s return was delayed by issues with Starliner.
Before the flight, Hague remarked on the constant nature of change in human spaceflight, noting that it might have been more visible to the public this time.
Hague was chosen to lead the rescue mission due to his prior experience and handling of a launch emergency six years ago, during which a Russian rocket failed, and he, along with a cosmonaut, was safely ejected in the capsule.
NASA’s rookie astronaut Zena Cardman and veteran astronaut Stephanie Wilson were removed from this flight when NASA decided to use SpaceX to retrieve the astronauts. Both astronauts remain eligible for future missions. Gorbunov continued under an agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency.
Cardman, speaking from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during the launch livestream, expressed optimism about future opportunities, despite not knowing the exact timing of her next space mission.
Hague acknowledged the challenges of launching with a smaller crew and returning with astronauts trained on a different spacecraft. He emphasized their professionalism and readiness to meet any demands.
SpaceX has been a leader in NASA’s commercial crew program since the retirement of space shuttles over a decade ago. It surpassed Boeing in delivering astronauts to the ISS in 2020 and has completed ten crew flights for NASA since.
Boeing has faced numerous challenges, including repeating an uncrewed Starliner test flight after its initial attempt veered off course. The Starliner that left Wilmore and Williams on the ISS successfully landed in the New Mexico desert on September 6 and has since been returned to Kennedy Space Center. Recently, Boeing’s defense and space chief was replaced.
The latest SpaceX launch marked the first astronaut mission from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX took over the Titan rocket pad nearly two decades ago for satellite launches while using Kennedy’s former Apollo and shuttle pad for crew flights. This move aims to provide more flexibility for future Falcon rocket launches.
