In a outstanding show of worldwide cooperation, Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gorbunov is ready to guide a high-stakes mission to rescue NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who’ve been stranded aboard the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) because of technical failures with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Gorbunov’s rescue mission is scheduled for February 2025, marking a pivotal second in house collaboration.The cosmonaut will first embark on his inaugural spaceflight in September 2024 as a part of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. The launch, set for September 28, 2024, will happen from Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station in Florida, with NASA and SpaceX groups absolutely ready.
Accompanying Gorbunov on this mission will likely be NASA astronaut Nick Hague. Collectively, they are going to spend 5 months aboard the ISS, conducting analysis and performing very important upkeep duties. A key focus of the mission would be the protected return of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, highlighting the worldwide effort to make sure the astronauts’ protected journey again to Earth.
Who’s Aleksandr Gorbunov?
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gorbunov is a Russian cosmonaut with a wealthy background in house engineering and navy service. Born in Zheleznogorsk, within the Kursk area of Russia, Gorbunov studied engineering on the prestigious Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), the place he specialised in spacecraft and higher stage applied sciences.
Earlier than becoming a member of the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps in 2018, Gorbunov served as a Lieutenant within the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Armed Forces and labored as an engineer at Energia, a significant Russian spacecraft producer. Throughout his time at Energia, he supported cargo spacecraft launches, gaining invaluable expertise that might serve him effectively in house missions.
Early profession and coaching of Aleksandr Gorbunov
Gorbunov’s journey to changing into a cosmonaut started in 2015, when he underwent rigorous medical evaluations and coaching. By 2018, after clearing a number of assessments and survival checks, he formally joined the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps. Over the following few years, he honed his abilities in every thing from winter survival to zero-gravity operations and intensive flight coaching aboard L-39 plane.
His coaching additionally included parachute workouts, water survival drills, and even apply missions simulating spacecraft landings in excessive environments just like the steppe and forest. By December 2020, he had handed the state exams and earned the qualification of a take a look at cosmonaut.
In 2022, Gorbunov was accredited as a part of the principle crew for ISS Expedition 72, a pivotal mission that might finally lead him to his upcoming function in SpaceX’s Crew-9.
SpaceX Crew-9 mission: A key milestone
Scheduled for launch in September 2024 from Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station in Florida, the Crew-9 mission will mark Gorbunov’s first flight to house. He will likely be joined by NASA astronaut Nick Hague on a five-month mission to the ISS.
Whereas their targets embody conducting scientific analysis and performing important upkeep duties, the mission’s key focus will likely be rescuing the stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The rescue mission is anticipated to happen in February 2025, utilizing the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which can permit Gorbunov to soundly deliver the astronauts again to Earth. This worldwide effort exemplifies the rising spirit of collaboration between house businesses, guaranteeing that vital missions like this succeed.
Additionally learn: Sunita Williams’ space journey: Milestones, records, and cultural significance
