SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule successfully docked at the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA confirmed on X stating, “The official welcome!.”
What Happened: The capsule will bring back two Boeing Co BA astronauts who have been stuck in space for months. Musk announced, “Dragon has reached,” tagging the ISS in his X post.
The spacecraft transported NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS for their five-month science mission. They will return with the stranded Boeing astronauts.
The Crew Dragon has two vacant seats for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will return to Earth in February. Initially planned for eight days, their mission was extended due to a malfunction of the Starliner capsule on Jun. 5.
The Starliner, on its maiden flight, experienced thruster failures and helium leaks, prompting NASA to return the capsule to Earth without the astronauts.
Why It Matters: The rescue mission by SpaceX underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Boeing in its space endeavors. SpaceX launched a half-filled Crew Dragon spaceship into orbit specifically to rescue the stranded astronauts. Normally, the Crew Dragon is designed to transport four astronauts, but this mission was unique due to the safety issues with Boeing's Starliner.
This mission also comes amid a backdrop of tension between SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration. Musk recently called for the resignation of FAA chief Mike Whitaker, citing mounting tensions between the federal agency and SpaceX.
Read Next:
Image Via Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
