A SpaceX Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) to bring back two stranded astronauts. The capsule docked at 17:30 eastern time (22:30 BST) as the ISS orbited 265 miles above Botswana. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had been stranded on the ISS due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, their original spacecraft.
The astronauts were part of an eight-day mission in June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. However, they were forced to remain on the ISS after a fault was discovered during the flight. NASA and Boeing investigated the issue, ultimately deciding that it was unsafe to return the astronauts aboard the Starliner. Instead, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is set to bring them back to Earth in February.
On Saturday, the Dragon capsule carried NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to the ISS. The launch was delayed from Thursday due to Hurricane Helene, which caused widespread destruction across southeastern US states, including Florida. The capsule’s safe arrival marked another success for SpaceX, which has become a crucial partner in NASA’s space operations.
Hague, a previous ISS crew member, and Gorbunov, will stay on the ISS before bringing Wilmore and Williams back to Earth. Footage from inside the ISS showed Hague and Gorbunov happily greeting the existing crew. NASA’s reliance on private companies like SpaceX and Boeing follows the retirement of its space shuttle fleet in 2011.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule has faced multiple delays and issues during its development, with setbacks occurring during uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022. Despite being awarded a $4.2 billion contract in 2014 to develop its spacecraft, Boeing’s mission has struggled with technical challenges. SpaceX, which was awarded a $2.6 billion contract, became the first private company to take astronauts to the ISS in 2020.
NASA aims to have multiple private companies capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS, reducing its reliance on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft. SpaceX’s success has provided a reliable alternative for NASA missions. As SpaceX continues to play a vital role in NASA’s operations, the future of American space exploration looks bright.