Moment debris narrowly misses SpaceX craft as it nears ISS
27 April 2021, 08:55 | Updated: 27 April 2021, 09:16
Space debris just misses Space X craft
This is the moment SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule appeared to narrowly avoid being struck by debris as it neared the International Space Station.
The spacecraft docked at the ISS over the weekend with four astronauts on board after launching on Friday.
The video reportedly shows the capsule separating from the Falcon 9 rocket.
READ MORE: SpaceX Crew Dragon successfully docks at International Space Station
As it does, debris appears to fly across the screen from the right, travelling between the rocket and capsule, as the capsule moves forward.
The Crew Dragon was designed by billionaire technology entrepreneur Elon Musk's company.
Frenchman Thomas Pesquet was the first European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to travel in the spacecraft, while also on board were Nasa's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, and Jaxa's (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Akihiko Hoshide on his second mission to the ISS.
The capsule came in to dock at the space station around 10.19am UK time on Saturday.
The rocket and capsule launched from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida just before 11am UK time on Friday.
It was the third launch for Nasa's Commercial Crew programme, which relies on private sector companies operating from the US, in less than a year.
Nasa was previously reliant on the Soyuz shuttle programme for more than a decade.
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule successfully docks at International Space Station
Meanwhile, astronauts flying back to Earth from the ISS this weekend have urged boaters to stay safe by staying away from their capsule's splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Nasa and SpaceX are promising more Coast Guard patrols and fewer pleasure boaters for Saturday morning's planned splashdown off the Florida coast, the company's second return of a crew.
The trip home for the four astronauts was delayed from Wednesday because of high winds forecast for the area.
Last August, pleasure boaters swarmed the Dragon capsule carrying two astronauts.
Nasa astronaut Mike Hopkins said everyone is putting "a lot of emphasis" on keeping the area clear this time.
"I don't think any of us are too worried in terms of landing on a boat," he said during a news conference on Monday from the International Space Station.
Leaking fuel from the capsule's thrusters could endanger people outside the capsule.
A crowd could also hamper SpaceX's recovery effort.
Mr Hopkins is winding up a six-month mission, along with US crewmates Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japan's Soichi Noguchi.
