Astronauts Launch to Space Station: A New Crew Takes the Stage

Four brave astronauts are set to embark on a journey to the International Space Station tonight. The launch is scheduled for 7:03 p. m. EDT. The crew includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. This is the second try to launch the Falcon 9 rocket after a previous attempt was canceled due to a technical issue. The first launch attempt on March 12 was aborted when a crucial hydraulic system on the ground failed just before liftoff. This system is essential for securing and releasing the rocket from the launch structure. Engineers from SpaceX have since fixed the problem by removing an air pocket from the system, and it is now working properly. The launch will be broadcast live by NASA, starting at 3 p. m. EDT. If all goes well, the astronauts are expected to reach the space station on Saturday night. Their arrival will allow the previous crew to return home. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived at the station in June 2023, were supposed to stay for only a week. However, their return was delayed due to issues with the thrusters on their Boeing spacecraft. NASA decided to bring the new spaceship back to Earth without the astronauts and integrated Wilmore and Williams into the regular space station crew rotation. Recently, President Trump and Elon Musk have made claims that Wilmore and Williams were intentionally left in space by the Biden administration. These claims have sparked controversy. Andreas Mogensen, a former commander of the space station, called Musk's claim a "lie" on the social media platform X. Musk responded by calling Mogensen an "idiot". Several former NASA officials have also disputed Musk's claim that he offered to bring back the astronauts earlier. Former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy stated that she and other senior leadership were not involved in any such discussions. With the arrival of the new crew, Williams and Wilmore will be relieved of their duties. They will then join astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a different Dragon capsule, which has been docked to the station since September. This capsule is expected to undock no earlier than Wednesday, March 19.