SpaceX has brought three astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut after nearly eight months on the International Space Station in a further blow to Boeing.
Boeing’s Starliner was originally slated to return the four-person crew when it brough Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS. The Starliner’s issues during the trip to the station resulted in NASA determining it wasn’t safe for anyone to come back with it, leaving SpaceX to finish the job.
According to NASA, all four crew members have been successfully retrieved, and the agency touted the scientific benefits of their mission.
During their mission, crew members traveled nearly 100 million miles and completed 3,760 orbits around Earth. They conducted new scientific research to advance human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit human life on Earth. Research and technology demonstrations included conducting stem cell research to develop organoid models for studying degenerative diseases, exploring how fuel temperature affects material flammability, and studying how spaceflight affects immune function in astronauts. Their work aims to improve astronaut health during long-duration spaceflights, contributing to critical advancements in space medicine and benefitting humanity.
Ultimately, the crew’s retrieval by SpaceX is another major blow to Boeing and underscores the issues that company has had in the last year or so.
It’s a safe bet SpaceX will continue to be NASA’s go-to option in the future.
from WebProNews https://ift.tt/CWRryvT
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