A SpaceX spacecraft will be used to return two astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station since June, after their troubled Boeing Starliner capsule suffered a series of technical glitches.
US space agency Nasa revealed the plans to return Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth during a press conference at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston on Saturday.
A technical issue with the Boeing Starliner's thrusters meant that the astronauts were unable to leave the ISS following what was planned as an eight-day mission.
Nasa says both astronauts will now return in February 2025 on board a SpaceX Craft Crew Dragon.
The Boeing Starliner will undock from the ISS without a crew and attempt to return to Earth as it would have with astronauts aboard.
Nasa administrators said the decision was made as uncertainty over the thrusters left an intolerable level of risk.
Nasa chief Bill Nelson admitted the decision had been difficult, but said it was made due to a commitment to safety.
"Space flight is a risk, even at its safest and even at its most routine, and a test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine," he said.
"Our core value is safety and it is our north star."
Mr Nelson stressed that Boeing had worked closely with Nasa around the astronauts' return, adding that Starliner remained in the agency's future plans.
“I'm grateful to Nasa and Boeing teams for their detailed and incredible work to get to this decision”, he added.
However, Nasa administrators also revealed that a “technical disagreement” existed between Nasa and Boeing engineers over the level of risk to the ISS astronauts.
Starliner's propulsion system suffered a series of glitches beginning in the first 24 hours of its flight to the ISS, sparking months of cascading delays.
Five of its 28 thrusters failed and it also suffered leaks of helium, which is used to pressurise the thrusters.
In a rare reshuffling of Nasa's astronaut operations, the two astronauts will return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft due to launch next month as part of a routine astronaut rotation mission.
Two of the Crew Dragon's four astronaut seats will be kept empty for Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams.
Nasa associate administrator Jim Free said: “Our focus is on safety all the time. The uncertainty remains in the safety of out thrusters. This has not been an easy, decision but is the right one.”
Boeing struggled for years to develop Starliner, a gumdrop-shaped capsule designed to compete with Crew Dragon as a second US option for sending astronauts into Earth's orbit.
Starliner failed a 2019 test to launch to the ISS uncrewed, but mostly succeeded in a 2022, attempt where it also encountered thruster problems.
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand (Saturday, 12pm)
Wales v South Africa (Sunday, 1pm)
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Company%20profile
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The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
Napoleon
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
Our take: 3/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets