Falcon 9 Successfully Launches, to Retrieve Stranded Astronauts in February Next Year
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)'s Falcon 9 rocket launched two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on the afternoon of the 28th local time (Taipei time on the 29th). The Crew Dragon spacecraft has two empty seats reserved specifically for bringing back two astronauts who have been 'stranded' at the space station for several months.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 1:17 PM local time from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Numerous adjustments were made to this space mission. The Crew Dragon spacecraft was originally designed to carry four astronauts, but for this mission, only NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov are onboard. This arrangement is to prepare for the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been 'stranded' at the ISS, back to Earth in February of next year (2025).
In June of this year (2024), Boeing's Starliner conducted its first crewed test flight, but issues such as thruster failure and helium leakage occurred. For the safety of the astronauts, NASA decided to send the Starliner back to Earth 'empty' on September 6th of this year.
This decision forced the extension of Wilmore and Williams' space testing mission, leaving them 'stranded' at the ISS for more than three months. What was originally planned as an eight-day mission aboard Starliner has now been extended to eight months. Wilmore and Williams are expected to return to Earth with Hague and Gorbunov in February of next year.
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