NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin were scheduled to travel from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station on October 11 in a six-hour rocket-powered flight. However, the mission was suddenly aborted mid-flight when a technical failure rendered the Soyuz rocket carrying Hague and Ovchinin unable to use its boosters.
Without the boosters, the rocket would not have been able to safely break through the Earth’s atmosphere, and so an emergency ballistic landing had to be performed. The capsule was disconnected from the engine and shot back down to Earth, where the pilots were quickly recovered.
Thankfully, Hague and Ovchinin are no worse for wear, with NASA director Jim Bridenstine reporting them to be in “good condition” after their recovery. The reason for the booster malfunction has not yet been determined, but a thorough investigation has been promised.
