The SpaceX Dragon capsule sent to rescue NASA’s Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore docked at the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule is equipped with two extra seats for Williams and Wilmore to occupy after their retrieval.
Docking confirmed! pic.twitter.com/kT8oApQQAq
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 29, 2024
The SpaceX capsule docked at 17:30 Eastern time at the ISS. The rescue capsule was co-piloted by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. The duo lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday. The Crew-9 launch was initially scheduled for Thursday but was delayed due to the lingering aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the coast of Florida.
Hague and Gorbunov successfully docked to the ISS as it flew 426 km above Botswana in southern Africa. Footage from the space station showcased Hague and Gorbunov’s warm welcome from the rest of the crew after their safe arrival.
The official welcome!
The Expedition 72 crew welcomed #Crew9, @NASAAstronauts Nick Hague, the Crew 9 commander and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, the crew 9 mission specialist, after their flight aboard the @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. pic.twitter.com/pOa8sTQWDo
— NASA’s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) September 29, 2024
The Boeing Starliner took flight on June 5, 2024, marking Boeing’s maiden flight to take astronauts to the ISS. However, the space capsule suffered several complications during the trip, including hazardous helium leaks and complications with the thrusters. After months of examining the health of the Starliner, NASA declared the capsule unsafe to bring Williams and Wilmore back to Earth. The Nasa duo has since been stranded in space.
Founded by billionaire Elon Musk, SpaceX has been transporting crews to and from the ISS every six months. According to the contract between NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency, each flight to the ISS is on board a three-seat Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying one NASA astronaut, while a cosmonaut boards each four-seat Dragon spacecraft.
