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SpaceX Capsule Docks with Stranded Astronauts
A SpaceX capsule carrying two empty seats has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS). The capsule will bring back astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were stranded on the ISS due to a malfunction on their Boeing Starliner capsule.
Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS in June for an eight-day mission but remained stranded after the Starliner developed problems. They are now expected to return to Earth in February.
The Dragon capsule, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, lifted off from Florida on Saturday. Hague and Gorbunov will join the ISS crew and later bring Wilmore and Williams back.
The docking occurred as the ISS passed over Botswana, Africa. Inside the ISS, Hague and Gorbunov posed for photos with the crew.
The Starliner flight marked Boeing’s first attempt to carry astronauts to the ISS. However, the capsule experienced issues, including helium leaks and thruster problems. NASA ultimately decided it was unsafe for Wilmore and Williams to return on the Starliner.
With the success of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, NASA now has two American companies capable of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS.