Stuck NASA astronauts one step closer to home as new crew flies

The Manila Times

Stuck NASA astronauts one step closer to home as new crew flies  NASA and SpaceX on March 14, 2025 launches a long-awaited crew to the International Space Station that will let them bring home US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck on the orbital lab for nine months. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:03 p.m. ET (2303 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying four astronauts who will replace Wilmore and Williams, both of whom are veteran NASA astronauts and retired US Navy test pilots and were the first to fly Boeing's BA.N Starliner capsule to the ISS in June. But problems with Starliner's propulsion system during the flight forced an extension of their planned eight-day stay as NASA deemed it too risky for them to fly home on the craft, which returned to Earth empty in September.  NASA TV/REUTERS  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe    Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes #tmtnews #NASA #SpaceX

Transcript

00:00at the launch pad.

00:04And here they come.

00:05Crew 10 taking their first steps outside as they prepare for their journey to the International

00:11Space Station.

00:15From left to right, Kirill Peskov, Nicole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Takuya Onishi.

00:27Well, this is the second time they've done this, so when you do something a second time,

00:35does it have the same feeling?

00:36Yeah, you know, I think it's actually probably a little bit better for them, because some

00:40of those have kind of gone through it already the first time, and so I think they're probably

00:44a little bit more relaxed, but still feeling all of that excitement and exhilaration for

00:49launch day.

00:50Back live now at the launch pad as your commander and pilot walk towards the elevator after

01:02taking a look at their rocket for the second time, heading up the launch tower.

01:12Getting into that special elevator, and I'm not sure, I'm guessing maybe Anne will get

01:15to push that button, but it's the best button in the elevator, because it says space.

01:24That seal that you were talking about, of course, incredibly important.

01:27That's just simply orbital mechanics, depends on the time that you're launching, where the

01:32space station is relative to you, and all of these factors, so it could be a very short

01:37flight and could be longer.

01:39Yeah, absolutely, I know that they are all so proud of her today.

01:44So excited for her.

01:45I never forget that first moment when you see your first, all of the other astronauts

01:51and cosmonauts that are flying, and every launch, of course, is very special when it's

01:55one of your friends or colleagues, but it's a little bit special.

01:58Inside the astronaut office that so much attention has been given to their return.

02:04Yeah, definitely a lot of attention, that is what we live for, and that's really our

02:09main intent of being astronauts, is to go to space and to do science and to do vehicles,

02:14and all different aspects of the space station program.

02:16So we know, we accept the mission, knowing what the plan is, but tracking a roughly less

02:21than 5% chance of violation at our target liftoff time of 7.03 p.m.

02:26Ignition, and liftoff, go SpaceX, go NASA crew.

02:33We're continuing to get good call-outs on the first stage performance so far.

02:44Despite the vehicles traveling just under 4,000 miles per hour.

02:55We're just about 20 seconds away from those events that.

02:59Copy, two alpha.

03:03Great call-outs and incredible views there on your left-hand screen, on your left-hand

03:08screen you can see a view from stage one.

03:13And there we have our first images of the crew inside the Dragon spacecraft as they

03:17make their way into orbit.

03:20Awesome views.

03:21And on the right-hand side of your screen, you can see that lone Merlin vacuum engine

03:25of the second stage.

03:26We're continuing to get good performance.

03:32There's that landing burn, let's watch as Falcon 9 touches down on landing zone one.

03:39Choose cooperation and believe in the inherent goodness of all people across the world.

03:53To my family and friends, without you, I would not be here.

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