SpaceX Launches Ship To Bring Back Astronauts Stranded On International Space Station

28 Sep 2024 by Antonio Pequeño IV · Forbes

Topline

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday as part of a mission to bring back two astronauts to Earth after they were left stranded on the International Space Station after safety issues emerged on their original return vessel, the Boeing Starliner.

The rocket launch occurred Saturday afternoon in Florida. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez ... [+] Carrillo/Getty Images)Getty Images

Key Facts

The Dragon crew of two, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, launched Saturday afternoon and are scheduled to dock at the International Space Station at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

The stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are slated to return to Earth using the Dragon in late February, marking their eighth month in space (International Space Station crews are typically rotated out every six months).

The Dragon spacecraft launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station instead of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center because of delays with the Boeing Starliner’s unmanned return to Earth earlier this month.

Wilmore and Williams were originally supposed to return in June after a brief mission lasting no longer than 10 days, but the Boeing Starliner’s arrival to the International Space Station revealed helium leaks and malfunctions with some of the spacecraft’s thrusters, provoking NASA to employ a different ship for the return flight.

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Surprising Fact

The Dragon spacecraft has made 47 launches and visited the International Space Station 42 times, according to SpaceX’s website. The ship can carry up to seven passengers and is the first private spacecraft to transport humans to the International Space Station.

Big Number

At least $1.4 billion. That’s how much Boeing has lost on the Starliner program, according to CNBC, with annual losses ranging from $57 million to $489 million.

Tangent

Boeing’s troubles with the Starliner follow a run of problems the aerospace company has faced this year. Production of the company’s 737 Max airplane, one of its largest revenue generators, has slowed after a high-profile door blowout occurred during an Alaska Airlines 737 Max flight in January, which also resulted in the Federal Aviation Administration halting a production expansion of the plane. The aerospace company is also facing a strike from 33,000 workers, triggering production shutdowns of multiple airplanes and cost-cutting moves from Boeing, according to the Associated Press, which noted thousands of nonunion managers and employees have been temporarily furloughed. The strike is heading into its third week after Boeing unsuccessfully made its “best and final offer,” which includes raises totaling 30% over four years. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers accused Boeing of throwing the offer at them “without any discussion,” The Guardian reported. The strike and production troubles also threaten Boeing with a potential downgrade from S&P Global and Moody’s, which would bring the company’s rating down to junk. After all of that, Boeing’s stock is down more than 40% since January.

Key Background

NASA launched a probe seeking to understand what caused five thrusters to shut down as the Boeing Starliner approached the International Space Station in June. The agency ran ground tests for months but did not reach consensus with Boeing, which insisted it understood the issues and that it was confident in the safety of the spacecraft to make a return voyage. Boeing turned out to be correct in its assessment. The Starliner’s unmanned return in early September went exactly as planned, with NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich telling reporters the trip “would have been a safe, successful landing with the crew on board.” Still, SpaceX managing the return flight instead of Boeing marked a blot on the Starliner program, which NASA awarded Boeing $4.2 billion to make.