Air Freight News

SpaceX capsule for stuck astronauts docks at space station

A SpaceX Crew Dragon space capsule, which is due to bring home stuck astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams next year, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, according to NASA and SpaceX.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov boarded the ISS shortly after the Dragon capsule docked at the station at 2130 GMT, NASA said in a post on X.

The SpaceX Crew-9 mission was supposed to transport four astronauts to the ISS until two empty seats had to be opened up for Wilmore and Williams after the Boeing Starliner capsule they arrived on in June was deemed unfit to return them to Earth.

The two former military test pilots have been stuck on the ISS since then after the Starliner capsule suffered thruster failures and helium leaks. NASA decided it wasn't safe for the astronauts to return on Starliner, which was sent back to Earth empty earlier this month.

Wilmore and Williams, who were the first crew to fly on the troubled Starliner, are now due to return home with Hague and Gorbunov on Crew Dragon in February next year, as what was supposed to be an 8-day mission has turned into an 8-month ordeal.


Reuters
Reuters

{afn_job_title}

Similar Stories

https://www.ajot.com/images/uploads/article/Vienna_Airport_.jpg
Safe handling of air cargo: Vienna Airport receives IATA CEIV certification for lithium batteries
View Article
MMAG Aviation Consortium partners with Unilode Aviation Solutions, a global leader in ULD outsourcing management

The partnership will commence with Unilode providing ULD management to MJets Air Sdn Bhd, the commercial air cargo unit within MAC.

View Article
https://www.ajot.com/images/uploads/article/WorldACDWeek39_2024.jpg
WorldACD Weekly Air Cargo Trends (week 39) - 2024
View Article
https://www.ajot.com/images/uploads/article/Philippines_Air.jpg
Philippine Airlines ushers in new nonstop service to SEA’s largest unserved international market
View Article
https://www.ajot.com/images/uploads/article/Dave_Keene_DPA_%28P%29.jpg
Aurrigo CEO calls for transformation in ground support industry by embracing ‘iGSE’
View Article
https://www.ajot.com/images/uploads/article/Global_air_cargo_rates_1.jpeg
US port strikes add to storm brewing in air freight market
View Article