Rescue Mission for Stranded Astronauts at ISS Successfully Arrives

The stranded US astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore have taken a significant step towards their return to Earth. A spacecraft designated for their rescue has successfully reached the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX 'Crew Dragon' spacecraft, owned by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, docked at the ISS as confirmed by live broadcasts from NASA.

On board this mission, known as 'Crew 10', are US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Initially scheduled to launch on Wednesday, the mission faced delays due to a hydraulic issue that was resolved before the docking.

The purpose of 'Crew 10' is to replace the current group, 'Crew 9', which includes Suni Williams, Barry Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunow. After a few days of collaborative work with 'Crew 10', 'Crew 9' is expected to head back to Earth on Wednesday, provided weather conditions permit a safe return.

While Hague and Gorbunow have been aboard the ISS since late September, Williams and Wilmore have been there since June, far exceeding their planned week-long stay. Their extended duration in space was necessitated by technical difficulties with Boeing's 'Starliner' spacecraft, prompting NASA to decide to return the unmanned Starliner in September. The situation led to nearly ten months of stay in the ISS for Williams and Wilmore, who are both experienced astronauts with multiple past missions.

Meanwhile, Boeing's 'Starliner' program continues to face significant challenges. The company reported a staggering loss of $523 million for 2024 related to the 'Starliner Commercial Crew Program', attributing it to scheduling delays and increased testing and certification costs. Originally slated for its first docking with the ISS in 2016, the 'Starliner' only succeeded in 2022 after a series of setbacks. Cumulatively, the losses from this program have reached about $2 billion. Following the ongoing troubles in the military and aerospace sectors, Boeing's space division head Ted Colbert was dismissed in September 2024, and the company is contemplating discontinuing its space operations.