NASA astronaut stuck in space for 9 months is about to be rescued

(CLO) A SpaceX spacecraft carried four new astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in the early morning of March 16, paving the way for two NASA astronauts who had been stranded for nine months to return to Earth.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, two astronauts who were supposed to be on a week-long mission, were left stranded on the ISS after a problem with Boeing's first crewed flight. NASA was forced to return the Starliner without a crew, leaving them stranded in orbit.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft of the Crew-10 mission docked with the ISS at 12:04 a.m. on March 16, just 29 hours after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the evening of March 14.

The new crew, including NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov, are expected to stay on the ISS for six months. They will spend the next few days taking over from Wilmore and Williams before the two NASA astronauts board a SpaceX capsule to return to Earth.

Astronauts greet each other after a SpaceX spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on March 16. Photo: NASA

Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to leave the ISS on the morning of March 19, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, and land in the waters off Florida. Hague and Gorbunov flew to the ISS last September on a Crew Dragon capsule that had two empty seats for Wilmore and Williams, ensuring their return.

Despite being stuck longer than expected, Wilmore and Williams continue to conduct scientific research and maintain the space station. Williams told reporters she is looking forward to seeing her family and two dogs again.

Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao said the Crew-10 docking process went smoothly. He stressed that docking the spacecraft with the ISS was not as simple as in the movies, but required time to check for leaks and stabilize pressure before opening the ship's doors.

"It looks like a perfect and successful mission so far," Chiao said. "Sunny and Butch are eager to hand over the mission and return with their crew to Earth in a few days."

Ngoc Anh (according to Fox News, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/phi-hanh-gia-bi-mac-ket-9-thang-ngoai-khong-gian-sap-duoc-giai-cuu-post338758.html