4 months ago
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SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year
Well, you know, we actually had *** couple of duties while we were getting ready to let the starliner depart. There are some things that the International Space Station has to get ready and be prepared and make sure that it understands that *** visiting vehicle has undocked and it goes back to its normal regime of operating. So actually, we were tasked with that, we were up in the cupola and we were watching our spaceship, you know, fly away at that point in time. So I think, I think it was good, we had some extra activities, you know, of course, we're very knowledgeable about star starliner. So it was, it was obvious, you know, what was happening at each moment. We were talking to our control team, people, friends of ours that we, we know we know how much time and effort that they have put into this spacecraft, the excellent and precision uh activities that they're doing down on the ground. It was, it was nice to have that, you know, one on one conversation over the space to ground as Steiner was leaving. Uh just knowing that she was in their hands and they were going to do the best that they could to get her back home. Um Other thoughts about seeing it leave, you know, like we're, like you mentioned, we're both, you know, navy, we've both been on deployments. We're not surprised when deployments gets changed. I mean, our families extended, our families are used to that as well. So, uh that is, that's not *** humongous surprise, I think like Butch said, this is, this is test, I think before we even flew, we had an interview with *** lot of you and the same thing that, you know, *** test flight means that we're probably going to find some stuff we've done as much as we can to look at the envelope that we're going to operate in. But this is the first time that we've had humans in space in starliner and we did find stuff and, you know, we made the right decisions and we're here and that's how things go in this business. Like what said it's risky and that's how it goes in the business. Welcome to Joey Roulette with Reuters. Hey, thank you. Um for both of you, you know, you both have had for the past few years. You played *** very kind of intimate role in starliner development, which of course, has not been easy for Boeing for *** number of reasons. Um And I know failures are common in spacecraft testing, but looking back what could Boeing have done differently in starliner development. That is *** very interesting and *** very fair question. I, I'll say this, there is not enough time right now to go into all the details to make any answer. I think that I could, I could give uh make complete sense. I could say *** few things and it would be taken the wrong way, *** way that I didn't mean it to be so for questions like that, all that will play out. Um uh In the coming months, we've got lessons learn that we will go through. We will have discussions, we will be involved with those discussions and things that need to change will change. Obviously, when you have issues like we've had, there are some changes that need to be made. Boeing's on board with that. We're all on board with that. And I can tell you when you push the edge of the envelope again and you do things with spacecraft that have never been done before, just like starliner, you're going to find some things. And in this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the starliner when we had other options. There's many cases in the past where there have not been other options. We were very fortunate that we have the space station um and that we had the option to stay and we had the option to come back *** different way if that's what the data showed I think the data could have gotten there. We could have gotten to the point, I believe where we could have returned on starliner, but we just simply ran out of time.
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SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.The capsule rocketed toward orbit to fetch the test pilots whose Boeing spacecraft returned to Earth empty earlier this month because of safety concerns. The switch in rides left it to NASA's Nick Hague and Russia's Alexander Gorbunov to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Since NASA rotates space station crews approximately every six months, this newly launched flight with two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams won't return until late February. Officials said there wasn't a way to bring them back earlier on SpaceX without interrupting other scheduled missions.By the time they return, the pair will have logged more than eight months in space. They expected to be gone just a week when they signed up for Boeing's first astronaut flight that launched in June. NASA ultimately decided that Boeing's Starliner was too risky after a cascade of thruster troubles and helium leaks marred its trip to the orbiting complex. The space agency cut two astronauts from this SpaceX launch to make room on the return leg for Wilmore and Williams. Williams has since been promoted to commander of the space station, which will soon be back to its normal population of seven. Once Hague and Gorbunov arrive this weekend, four astronauts living there since March can leave in their own SpaceX capsule. Their homecoming was delayed a month by Starliner's turmoil.Hague noted before the flight that change is the one constant in human spaceflight."There's always something that is changing. Maybe this time it's been a little more visible to the public," he said.Hague was thrust into the commander's job for the rescue mission based on his experience and handling of a launch emergency six years ago. The Russian rocket failed shortly after liftoff, and the capsule carrying him and a cosmonaut catapulted off the top to safety.Rookie NASA astronaut Zena Cardman and veteran space flier Stephanie Wilson were pulled from this flight after NASA opted to go with SpaceX to bring the stuck astronauts home. The space agency said both would be eligible to fly on future missions. Gorbunov remained under an exchange agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency."I don't know exactly when my launch to space will be, but I know that I will get there," Cardman said from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where she took part in the launch livestream.Hague acknowledged the challenges of launching with half a crew and returning with two astronauts trained on another spacecraft. "We've got a dynamic challenge ahead of us," Hague said after arriving from Houston last weekend. "We know each other and we're professionals and we step up and do what's asked of us."SpaceX has long been the leader in NASA's commercial crew program, established as the space shuttles were retiring more than a decade ago. SpaceX beat Boeing in delivering astronauts to the space station in 2020 and it's now up to 10 crew flights for NASA.Boeing has struggled with a variety of issues over the years, repeating a Starliner test flight with no one on board after the first one veered off course. The Starliner that left Wilmore and Williams in space landed without any issues in the New Mexico desert on Sept. 6, and has since returned to Kennedy Space Center. A week ago, Boeing's defense and space chief was replaced.Delayed by Hurricane Helene pounding Florida, the latest SpaceX liftoff marked the first for astronauts from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX took over the old Titan rocket pad nearly two decades ago and used it for satellite launches, while flying crews from Kennedy's former Apollo and shuttle pad next door. The company wanted more flexibility as more Falcon rockets soared.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
The capsule rocketed toward orbit to fetch the test pilots whose Boeing spacecraft returned to Earth empty earlier this month because of safety concerns. The switch in rides left it to NASA's Nick Hague and Russia's Alexander Gorbunov to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Since NASA rotates space station crews approximately every six months, this newly launched flight with two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams won't return until late February. Officials said there wasn't a way to bring them back earlier on SpaceX without interrupting other scheduled missions.
By the time they return, the pair will have logged more than eight months in space. They expected to be gone just a week when they signed up for Boeing's first astronaut flight that launched in June.
NASA ultimately decided that Boeing's Starliner was too risky after a cascade of thruster troubles and helium leaks marred its trip to the orbiting complex. The space agency cut two astronauts from this SpaceX launch to make room on the return leg for Wilmore and Williams.
Williams has since been promoted to commander of the space station, which will soon be back to its normal population of seven. Once Hague and Gorbunov arrive this weekend, four astronauts living there since March can leave in their own SpaceX capsule. Their homecoming was delayed a month by Starliner's turmoil.
Hague noted before the flight that change is the one constant in human spaceflight.
"There's always something that is changing. Maybe this time it's been a little more visible to the public," he said.
Hague was thrust into the commander's job for the rescue mission based on his experience and handling of a launch emergency six years ago. The Russian rocket failed shortly after liftoff, and the capsule carrying him and a cosmonaut catapulted off the top to safety.
Rookie NASA astronaut Zena Cardman and veteran space flier Stephanie Wilson were pulled from this flight after NASA opted to go with SpaceX to bring the stuck astronauts home. The space agency said both would be eligible to fly on future missions. Gorbunov remained under an exchange agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency.
"I don't know exactly when my launch to space will be, but I know that I will get there," Cardman said from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where she took part in the launch livestream.
Hague acknowledged the challenges of launching with half a crew and returning with two astronauts trained on another spacecraft.
"We've got a dynamic challenge ahead of us," Hague said after arriving from Houston last weekend. "We know each other and we're professionals and we step up and do what's asked of us."
SpaceX has long been the leader in NASA's commercial crew program, established as the space shuttles were retiring more than a decade ago. SpaceX beat Boeing in delivering astronauts to the space station in 2020 and it's now up to 10 crew flights for NASA.
Boeing has struggled with a variety of issues over the years, repeating a Starliner test flight with no one on board after the first one veered off course. The Starliner that left Wilmore and Williams in space landed without any issues in the New Mexico desert on Sept. 6, and has since returned to Kennedy Space Center. A week ago, Boeing's defense and space chief was replaced.
Delayed by Hurricane Helene pounding Florida, the latest SpaceX liftoff marked the first for astronauts from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX took over the old Titan rocket pad nearly two decades ago and used it for satellite launches, while flying crews from Kennedy's former Apollo and shuttle pad next door. The company wanted more flexibility as more Falcon rockets soared.
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