NASA Astronauts Successfully Head to Space Station After Boeing’s Starliner Delays

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — After a year of delays due to Boeing’s Starliner issues, astronauts launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, thanks to SpaceX’s services.

This diverse crew, which includes members from the U.S., Japan, and Russia, took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. They will replace colleagues who were sent up earlier in March.

The crew is expected to dock with the ISS this weekend and stay for at least six months. Zena Cardman, a biologist and polar explorer who was initially set to launch last year, expressed her excitement about the mission. “I feel nothing but joy right now. This is the ride of a lifetime,” Cardman said after reaching orbit.

The delays with the Starliner forced astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to switch to SpaceX for their return. “Every astronaut wants to be in space,” Cardman noted, emphasizing the thrill of the journey.

Mike Fincke, Cardman’s co-pilot, previously served as a backup for Wilmore and Williams on the Starliner mission. With Starliner grounded until 2026 for safety reviews, NASA opted to have Fincke and fellow astronaut Kimiya Yui join the latest SpaceX flight instead.

“It’s fantastic to be back in orbit,” Fincke said, noting that his last mission was in 2011 on the shuttle.

The crew also includes Oleg Platonov from Russia, who was removed from a mission a few years ago due to health concerns, which he has since resolved.

NASA’s acting administrator, Sean Duffy, was present for the launch and discussed future collaborations between NASA and Russia. “What we learn on these missions is key for future explorations, like going to the Moon and Mars,” he stated.

In light of budget constraints, NASA is considering extending astronaut stays at the ISS from six months to eight. This extension aligns with strategies already adopted by Russia. SpaceX is nearing certification of its Dragon capsules for extended flights, which could keep the new crew at the station until April.

NASA is also looking into launching smaller crews—perhaps three astronauts instead of the usual four—to save costs.

As for the Starliner, it may next carry cargo instead of crew, while engineers continue to investigate the thruster issues and helium leaks that hindered its initial launch. This investigation is urgent, as NASA aims to decommission the aging space station by 2030.

Despite an unresolved air leak on the Russian side of the ISS, Platonov expressed confidence, stating, “I am not worried about the leak.”

The excitement of space exploration continues, but challenges remain. As technology evolves and international cooperation strengthens, these missions pave the way for humanity’s next big steps into the cosmos.

For more on this topic, check out NASA’s updates here.

Source link

Spacecraft, Space launches, Michael Fincke, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Sean Duffy, Zena Cardman, Space exploration, Aerospace and defense industry, AP Top News, Science, Florida, Business, Dmitry Bakanov, Technology, Russia, Oleg Platonov