SpaceX Crew-10 launch will pave the way for NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return home
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Spacex on the right track again to try to launch a crew of astronauts on a mission to mitigate NASA Williams and Boot Wilmor -Let them return home from the International Space Station after a journey that lasted for a nine -month -old trip.
It is scheduled to be
The SPACEX Dragon capsule, which sits on one of the company’s Falcon 9 missiles, will carry four astronauts from the staff-Annin, Nicole Aires, and Takoya Unishi from the Japanese Space Explorement Agency, Roscusmos, and astronauts, to Oskov-to off.
The four crew members are expected to focus with the space station around 11:30 pm East on Saturday. They will spend a few days undergoing a “delivery” period with Williams and Wilmmore and their colleagues from astronauts, and Nick The Hague from NASA and Roscosmos.
Crew-9 Dragon capsule has been established at the space station since September. If things go according to the plan, Williams, Wilmore, Hash and Jourbonov will climb on the Crew-9 spacecraft and return to Earth on March 19.
NASA had designed Williams, Wilwmore and other crew astronauts to return just on Sunday. However, their departure depends on the safe arrival of the relief staff-Spacex and the attempt to launch the CREW-10 mission on Wednesday due to problems with the company’s Launchpad Ground systems.
The new history is Closer At the time of departure in late March, NASA gave astronauts in December before SPACEX chose to swap the dragon capsule that he used to fly Crew-10 in an attempt to accelerate Williams and the return of Willmore.
Launching attempts are routinely canceled due to technical problems, but the slight delay in obtaining a crew of 10 lands has sparked William and Wilmore talks “stuck” or “they were cut off” in space-characteristics that astronauts rejected.
“This novel was from the first day: they were cut off, abandoned, stuck – and I get it, we both get it,” Wilmur told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in February. “Help us change the narration, let’s change it to: preparation and commitment despite what you heard. That’s what we prefer.”
After the duties of the duties of astronauts from a 10 crew, the crew pioneers can 9 ride their capsule and Undock- that this landmark will begin the extension of Williams and Walemores that are risky.
While their stay in space has become increasingly Messian, as the CEO of Spacex El MUSK and President Donald Trump had been abandoned that the Biden administration had abandoned the duo in space, since last summer, William and Welmore have known that they would return home with Crew-9 as part of the rotation of routine employment.
From Starliner to Crew Dragon
Boeing Starliner spacecraft is launched in space from the Cape Cape Cancer Space Station in Florida on June 5, 2024 – Joel Koski/NASA
William and Wilmmore started their journey to the International Space Station in June when they tried the opening of the Estarliner’s opening crew trip in Boeing. But multiple problems with the car have appeared on its way to the station, including payment issues and helium leaks. These challenges prompted NASA to extend the residence of Williams and Wilmore at the space station, where the mission teams evaluated the cases.
Ultimately, NASA decided last summer that it would be very risking to return Williams and Wilmmore on board Boeing. The space agency in August announced that it will fold Williams and Wilmore at the official satellite station staff-which makes them part of the routine crew-which he prepared to return home with the Crew-9 mission of Spacex.
The agency officials made this decision instead of flying on a separate mission outside the schedule of the regular space station, which may cost millions of dollars.
“It was not logical to move forward and accelerate a SpaceX trip to return Bush and Sony earlier.” He added that NASA “never thought of this option” – referring to the idea of flying a separate Spacex dedicated to Williams and Wilmmores instead of returning it on a audible routine trip.
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft was seen drawn to the International Space Station on July 3, 2024. This long -term image was taken at night from the orbits laboratory, with 258 miles over western China. NASA
In his last posts about the issue on X, however, Musk He said Spacex Williams and Wilmmore could have brought home for months, but the show was rejected for political reasons. “
However, a former NAS CNN senior official told SpaceX that I have never reached such an offer to lead the agency – and NASA would not have enjoyed this idea regardless.
If Musk made the offer to a person outside the NASA leadership, the source indicated: “I am sure they would have been hosting and said:” Well, that will cost us an additional $ 100 million, we had no new dragon capsule and Falcon 9. “
Musk said since then that the show has not been presented to NASA but was transferred directly to the White House of Biden, who “” “Refuse“
It is not clear why such a deal will be discussed with the White House, which usually does not have any participation in the tasks of NASA crew or employment matters at the space station.
One of the former White House employees did not respond to the comment.
William and Wilmmore reaction
Space Pioneers Poach Wilmor (left) and Sony Williams waved to the crowd before Boeing Starliner was launched in Cape Capeeral, Florida, on June 5, 2024
For their part, Williams and Wilmmore repeatedly said they enjoyed their time in space.
“This is my happy place,” Williams said in September. “I love to be here in space. It’s just a fun. You know, every day you do something that works, quote, not qualified, you can do it upside down. You can do this side, so he adds a little different perspective.”
The duo also sought to dispel the accusations left by the Biden administration.
While admitting the presence of difficult parts in the mission, Williams and Wilwmore have repeatedly sought to express that they are well ready to extend their stay in space and have not been abandoned.
“We have a lot of clothes. Wimmour said in January.
“It is just a great team – no, it doesn’t feel that we are Cassoy.”
“In the end, we want to go home,” she added, because we have left our families a short time ago, but we have a lot to do while we are here. “
However, Willmore added fuel to speculation about Musk’s demands regarding an offer to return astronauts early during a press conference on March 4, which was held from the International Space Station.
Willmur said: “I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says is completely realistic.”
However, he added: “We do not have information about (Spacex’s offer may be a deal), though. What has been presented, unless it was presented, who was shown to it, how this process went – this is the information that we do not simply have.”
How to bring Crew-9 Williams and Wilmore Home
The task that delivered Williams and Wilmmore was launched to ride the home from the space station in September, with Hague from Crew-9 and Gorbunov, a SpaceX dragon with two empty seats for Lilloms and Wilmmore.
Since then, the four astronauts participated in the activity of the typical stations – conducting a space indifference, conducting scientific experiments and keeping pace with the maintenance of the routine space station. Williams took over as commander of the space station.
Williams and Wilwmore Time The Journey Return has always stopped at all successful for the Crew-10 mission. NASA maintained the staff to undergo a delivery period because it is necessary for the operations of the space station.
Also, allowing Crew-9 to return before Crew-10 also leaves only one American astronaut on the NASA space station, who arrived at the Russian Soyuz spacecraft in September. The NASA and Russia space agency in Roskosmos jointly runs the orbits laboratory with the European Space Agency, the Japanese Space Explorement Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
NASA aims to maintain at least four astronauts from the United States or partner space agencies on the space station at all times.
With a possible government closure OverlookNASA spokesman Steve Cecilov told CNN that the Crew-10 mission will not be affected because it is considered a “task.”
He said, referring to NASA: He added: “This will not be a position in which there is no indication, but you will likely see less of it.”
– Nick Valencia and Diphon SARESIS contributed to CNN
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