The CREW-10 mission aboard the Falcon 9 rocket of Spacex successfully took off on Friday, March 14 with four astronauts towards the International Space Station (EEI). This trip not only delivers a new crew, it will also bring American astronauts Sunni “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, who have spent nine months stranded in the orbital laboratory.
The astronauts remained in the US after failures in the Starliner, the ship made of Boeing, which prevented their return to the earth. Although the station has the necessary resources to guarantee a prolonged stay, NASA postponed its return due to logistics complications. The CREW-10 mission finally represents a safe medium for its return to Earth.
The new crew is composed of the cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, a specialist from Roscosmos; Nichole Ayers, NASA pilot; Anne McClain, NASA commander; and Takuya Onishi, specialist at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa).
On Sunday, March 16, the four CREW-10 members coupled to the space station in a Spacex Dragon ship. All the crew members of the EEI will live for a few days, temporarily increasing the population of the station to eleven. NASA shared some images of the emotional encounter:
Subsequently, four members will return to Earth: Nick Hague of NASA, and Aleksandr Gorbunov of Roscosmos, crew of the CREW-9, as well as Williams and Wilmore. NASA and SPACEX met Sunday to evaluate weather conditions and frightening on the Florida coast for the return of this mission, scheduled for Tuesday, March 18.
“The weather always has to cooperate, so we will take our time if it is not favorable,” Dana Weigel, director of the International Space Station at NASA, told a press conference. “Butch sounded a ceremonial bell when Suni delivered the command to Cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin,” the official said on a ritual made the previous week.
“Congratulations to our NASA and Spacex teams for this tenth crew rotation mission under our commercial crew association. This milestone reflects our continuous commitment to strengthen US leadership in space and promote the growth of our national space economy,” said NASA’s interim administrator, Janet Petro (currently the agency is in the process of choosing its new administrator).
“Through these missions, we are raising the way for future explorations that will cover from the low terrestrial orbit to the moon and Mars. Our international crew will contribute significantly to scientific research and technological development, generating benefits for all humanity,” Petro added.
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