Docking delay for crew at space station

THE first all-private team of astronauts launched to the International Space Station was hit by a technical glitch that left the crew hanging in space for nearly an hour waiting to dock yesterday.

Their arrival came some 21 hours after the four-man team, representing Houstonbased company Axiom Space Inc, lifted off on Friday from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center, riding atop a SpaceXlaunched Falcon 9 rocket.

The Crew Dragon capsule attempted to connect to the space station at about midday yesterday to begin a weeklong science mission.

But the final approach was delayed after a video feed used to monitor the capsule’s docking broke down, forcing the Crew Dragon to hold its position roughly 60ft from the space station for about 45 minutes while mission control sorted the issue.

It then took two hours more for the sealed passageway between the capsule and the station to be pressurised and checked for leaks before hatches could be opened, allowing the astronauts to come aboard the station.

The mission, a collaboration among Axiom, Nasa and SpaceX, has been touted by all three as a major step in the expansion of space-based commercial activities.

Nasa officials say the trend will help the US space agency focus more resources on bigscience exploration, including its Artemis programme to send humans back to the Moon and ultimately to Mars.