SpaceX rescue mission to bring stranded astronauts back to Earth docks at ISS

euronews (in English)

NASA decided using the Boeing Starliner capsule to bring Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth was too risky following a string of technical glitches on their outwards journey.

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00:00Two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station are a step closer to home with

00:06the arrival of a SpaceX capsule.

00:09The capsule docked at the station with two empty seats reserved for Butch Wilmore and

00:13Sunita Williams.

00:15The duo have been stuck in space since June due to technical difficulties and will return

00:21to Earth in February.

00:23Until then, two new recruits, NASA's Nick Haig and the Russian Space Agency's Alexander

00:29Gorbunov, who were aboard the rescue ship, will remain in orbit.

00:35On behalf of Expedition 72, I just want to say welcome to our new compadres from Dragon

00:44Freedom.

00:45Thanks honey, coming through the hatch and seeing all the smiles and as much as I've

00:49laughed and cried in the last 10 minutes, I know it's going to be an amazing expedition

00:56so I'm really looking forward to getting to work up here.

00:58In the middle of the year, the Starliner test flight containing Williams and Wilmore experienced

01:04thruster failures and helium leaks after liftoff.

01:08NASA sent the aircraft back to Earth unmanned, with post-flight data reviews set to begin

01:13this week.

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