Stuck in Space: SpaceX's Homemade Rocket Malfunctions, Leaving Astronauts Awaiting Return
Attempted re-entry of International Space Station-stranded vessel unsuccessful
Holler! Share! Text! Mail! Print! Copy Link! For nearly nine months, astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been floatin' up there, waitin' for their ride back home. Unfortunately, the SpaceX rocket meant to deliver 'em was a dud.
The anticipated evening lift-off to the International Space Station (ISS) to snatch back these stranded NASA astronauts didn't quite go according to plan. SpaceXhad to push back the flight due to some technical hiccups at the launchpad.
Just a few hours before the scheduled nighttime blast-off of the Falcon rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a pesky hydraulic system snag had folks sweatin'. The quartet of astronauts, already buckled in their capsule, kept their fingers crossed for a thumbs-up. But time ain't waitin', and less than an hour before the countdown time ran out, SpaceX opted to ground the launch.
The Cosmic Rain Delay
SpaceX didn't immediately set a new launch date, but they hinted that the next attempt might be on Thursday evening. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, owned by tech billionaire and presidential advisor Elon Musk, is all set to bring a fresh crew to the ISS. Once things are handed off, a Dragon capsule will send US astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and a couple other spacefarers back down to Earth.
Nine Months in the ISS
When this new gang of American, Japanese, and Russian astronauts lands at the space station, they'll be swapping places with Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. These two astronauts initially thought they'd only be in space for about a week when testing Boeing's Starliner capsule in early June 2021. Unfortunately, technical issues extended their mission from eight days to about nine months.
A Political Hurricane
The plight of the stranded ISS astronauts recently found itself in the middle of a political storm when US President Donald Trump and his close advisor Musk accused the previous Biden administration of abandoning the two astronauts "for political reasons."
Sources: ntv.de, mau/AP/AFP
- ISS
- NASA
- SpaceX
- Elon Musk
- Space Industry
Bonus Cosmic Tidbit:
In a less distressing bit of space news, the "Spherex" telescope recently revealed the cosmos in colors never seen before, providing a whole new perspective on the universe! (LINK)
- Despite the European Union's common policy on the environment, the elongated stay of astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore in space has been due to a malfunctioning SpaceX rocket.
- The rescheduled launch date for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, owned by tech billionaire and Presidential advisor Elon Musk, is expected to be on Thursday evening, aiming to replace the current astronauts, including Wilmore and Williams, with a new crew.
- The setback in SpaceX's rocket launch has caused astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore to spend nearly nine months on the International Space Station (ISS), longer than their initially anticipated week-long mission due to technical issues.
