The NASA SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 has officially lifted off from the Earth to rescue the two astronauts stuck in space since June. Falcon 9, which had its launch from Florida at 7:03 PM ET, is carrying replacements for the two astronauts currently stuck at the ISS. This launch paves the way for the eagerly awaited return of Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore. If you want to know more about the launch and the latest updates regarding the two astronauts, this article is for you. It brings all you need to know about the NASA SpaceX rocket launch.
NASA SpaceX Rocket Launch: The Rescue Mission
The Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX lifted off from Florida this Friday at 7:03 PM ET carrying four NASA astronauts. These astronauts are set to take over from Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore who are currently stuck in the orbital lab. NASA aims to overlap the two crews so that Wilmore and Williams can fill in the newcomers on happenings on ISS. They will hopefully undock next week and then splash down off the Florida coast in case the weather is favorable. The crew that flew up on a rescue mission in September will escort the duo back.
The New Crew Members
The Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from Florida was carrying a total of 4 astronauts sent to replace the two stuck in the ISS. The new crew that lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center includes two astronauts from NASA namely Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers. Both of these astronauts are former military pilots. While the remaining two astronauts include Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. Both of these astronauts are former airline pilots. The four astronauts will have to spend the upcoming six months in space at the ISS after replacing the stuck astronauts.
How Was Sunita Williams’ and Butch Willmore’s Return Delayed?
Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore left the Earth for only a few weeks as the test pilots for Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. However, a series of helium leaks and thruster failures spoiled their trip to the space station. The failures resulted in months of investigation and, ultimately, a delay in their return as the capsule was determined unsafe. The Starliner capsule flew back to Earth empty as per NASA’s order. The return of the two astronauts was originally scheduled for February but got further delayed. This was because the new capsule from SpaceX needed extensive battery repairs before launching their replacement. Therefore, the return was pushed forward to March.
Donald Trump’s Intervention
The long mission that unexpectedly stretched from weeks to months also gained some political attention. The newly elected US President Donald Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk vowed to bring the stuck astronauts back as soon as possible. The president also blamed the former administration for stalling the return. The two astronauts, on the other hand, repeatedly assured their full support to NASA’s decisions made in September. Wilmore mentioned in a statement that they came prepared for a long stay. He added that this is what the nation’s spaceflight missions are all about – planning for unknown and unexpected contingencies.
Hydraulics Issue Delayed Wednesday Launch
Another last-minute issue in hydraulics delayed the first attempt to launch the Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday. Many raised concerns over one of the two clamp arms in the Falcon 9 rocket. It reportedly had to tilt away right before the rocket lifted off from Earth. SpaceX successfully fixed the issue by flushing out the arm’s hydraulics system and removing the air trapped in it. The next attempt was scheduled for Friday, and the rocket successfully lifted off the Kennedy Space Center carrying replacements for the stuck astronauts.
What The Stuck Duo Said Before Homecoming?
The two stuck astronauts mentioned how this mission was the hardest on their families. Wilmore has a wife and two daughters awaiting his return while Williams has a husband and a mother waiting for her. Wilmore is also a church elder and he mentioned he’s excited to get back to face-to-face ministering. On the other hand, Wiliams mentioned she can’t wait to walk her two Labrador retrievers. Williams in an interview thanked everyone for their love and support. She added that the mission gained significant attention and it is both good as well as bad. However, she believes the good part is that more and more people are taking an interest in what they are doing.
