A SpaceX capsule designated to retrieve two astronauts stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has successfully docked. The Dragon capsule, equipped with two vacant seats for Butch Wilmore and Sunitha Williams, made its docking at 17:30 Eastern Time (22:30 BST). The astronauts had initially arrived at the ISS in June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule for an eight-day mission; however, they were compelled to remain on the station due to a malfunction identified during their flight. Their return to Earth is anticipated in February. The Dragon capsule launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. Hague, who has previously spent time on the ISS, along with Gorbunov, will integrate into the space station’s crew before facilitating the return of Wilmore and Williams to Earth.
The launch, initially set for Thursday, faced postponement due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which has wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States, particularly in Florida, in recent days. The docking took place while the International Space Station (ISS) was positioned 265 miles (426 km) above Botswana in southern Africa. Inside the ISS, footage captured Hague and Gorbunov smiling and taking photographs with their fellow crew members following their arrival. The original Starliner mission, which commenced on June 5, marked the capsule’s inaugural test flight with astronauts aboard and represented Boeing’s first endeavor to transport astronauts to the ISS. However, the flight encountered several complications, including helium leaks affecting its propulsion system and malfunctions with multiple thrusters. Following extensive investigations by engineers at Boeing and NASA, a decision was made in late August that it would be unsafe to attempt to return Wilmore and Williams using the Starliner. The capsule had already experienced significant delays over the years due to developmental setbacks and issues identified during uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022. Since the retirement of its space shuttle fleet in 2011, NASA has depended on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft for transportation to and from the ISS. Achieving the capability for two American companies to conduct these missions has been a longstanding objective for the agency, leading to Boeing and SpaceX being awarded contracts in 2014 valued at $4.2 billion (£3.2 billion) and $2.6 billion (£2 billion), respectively. In 2020, SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, made history as the first private company to transport astronauts to the ISS.
