Crew Change on ISS delayed

As per official reports, the return of astronauts from the International Space Station has been delayed, and this is due to the the failed launch of a Russian resupply rocket.

Now, the three astronauts who are earlier scheduled to return the earth will stay back there until June.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Terry Virts, Anton Shkaplerov , a Russian Cosmonaut and Anton Shkaplerov the European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti were scheduled to arrive back on Earth this week.

The three people were in the Space Station for the last six months, and they are doing various experiments as a part of Expedition 43.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, the Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency were considered as the substitutes who were supposed to reach the ISS by the end of May. But now, plans have changed, and they will be traveling to International Space Station only by late July.

“The return to Earth for NASA’s Terry Virts, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov now is targeted for early June”, said NASA in a recently issued statement.

Scott Kelly of NASA and two Russians, Mikhail Kornienjo and Gennady Padalka are already on board in the ISS, and they will continue their stay there for more time even after the arrival of the new batch.

The loss of control of the unmanned Progress 59 cargo ship on April 28 is considered to be the main reason behind the delay in transferring people from the ISS. The craft orbited in low earth orbit for more than 14 days, and finally, it plunged and burst in the earth’s atmosphere.