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topicnews · September 12, 2024

Soyuz capsule reaches International Space Station – ZDFheute

Soyuz capsule reaches International Space Station – ZDFheute

The rocket launch went smoothly, and the Soyuz capsule reached orbit eight minutes after liftoff.

Source: dpa

An American and two Russians flew to the International Space Station ISS in a Soyuz spacecraft at a speed of three hours and almost ten minutes.

The “Soyuz MS-26” with astronaut Don Pettit and cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner on board entered orbit as planned after launch from the Russian spaceport in Baikonur in the steppe of the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced.

At the scheduled arrival at humanity’s outpost at 21:32 CEST, Roscosmos reported successful docking.

International Space Station

After almost seven months on the ISS, three astronauts returned to Earth in April. They conducted several scientific experiments on the International Space Station.06.04.2024 | 0:18 mins

The launch went without any apparent problems, and the Soyuz capsule reached orbit eight minutes after liftoff – a relief for the Russian space agency after an automatic safety system halted a launch in March due to a voltage drop in the power system.

Launch of the Soyuz rocket

In March, a Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts will be launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan towards the ISS. A first launch attempt was previously aborted due to technical problems. 23.03.2024 | 0:21 mins

Capsule to stay in space for 202 days

The “Soyuz MS-26” also had 130 kilograms of cargo on board, including equipment for experiments and the astronauts’ personal belongings. The capsule is expected to remain in space for 202 days.
Despite the serious political tensions in the wake of Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia and the USA continue to work together in space travel. Astronauts repeatedly use Russian spacecraft to get to the ISS.

Russia will continue flights with the USA

Late in the evening, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov spoke out in favor of extending the agreement with the USA on joint space flights, which is valid until 2025. This is important for the reliable operation of the ISS, he said.

At the same time, he offered help to the US space agency NASA because astronauts could not return to Earth with the “Starliner” as planned. The USA had also helped Russia in the past.

ISS astronauts

The two astronauts who have been waiting for their return flight on the International Space Station (ISS) since June will not be able to return until February due to technical problems.25.08.2024 | 0:23 mins

Return journey with Soyuz after “Starliner” breakdown?

Also on board the ISS are astronaut Suni Williams and astronaut Barry Wilmore, whose journey is not going according to plan. Their spaceship “Starliner” returned safely to Earth on Saturday. However, NASA considered it too unsafe for the two to fly back with the faulty spaceship.

The two astronauts are now expected to spend eight months in space – instead of eight days as originally planned. Russia could, however, make a Soyuz return trip possible.

Starliner spacecraft on its way to Earth. A space capsule hangs on three parachutes

After three months, the Starliner spacecraft has returned to Earth from the ISS.07.09.2024 | 0:23 mins

In addition to these five astronauts, there are another seven cosmonauts and astronauts on board the ISS. With the five Russians and seven Americans, the crew is now significantly larger than usual.

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Source: ZDF

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Source: dpa, AP

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