SpaceX rescue mission brings astronauts back to Earth safely

Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been staying on the International Space Station (ISS) since June, welcomed the SpaceX capsule on Sunday, facilitating their return to Earth. The rescue mission was conducted by SpaceX, which launched the Dragon capsule containing a crew of two astronauts and two empty seats designated for Wilmore and Williams.

NASA decided to transfer Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX after concerns emerged regarding the safety of their Boeing Starliner capsule.

The first manned test flight of the Starliner failed due to engine malfunctions and helium leaks, prompting NASA to decide against returning the test pilots to Earth using that capsule. The Starliner returned to Earth without a crew at the beginning of this month.

The Dragon capsule, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, will remain on the station until February, extending Wilmore and Williams' mission to over eight months. Two NASA astronauts were removed from the mission to make room for the returning pair.

SpaceX, which has been providing transportation services for NASA since the first manned flight in 2020, is currently facing a significant issue. After the Saturday launch, the upper stage of the rocket landed outside the planned zone in the Pacific due to an engine malfunction. The company has halted all Falcon rocket launches until the cause of the malfunction is identified.

The arrival of new astronauts means that the four-person crew, who have been on the ISS since March, will be able to return to Earth within a week. Their stay was extended by a month due to issues with the Starliner.

"The Independent" reports that the SpaceX mission was successfully carried out, despite some technical problems.