Narrow Escape: Malfunctioning Soyuz Rocket Gives Astronauts A Scare, Forced To Land 90 Seconds After Take Off

Astronauts from the United States of America and Russia escaped a faulty Soyuz spacecraft 90 seconds after launch, BBC has reported. The launch was conducted from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazhakstan. Astronauts on board, Nick Hague and Alexey Ovchinin had reported a problem with the rocket's booster. The problem cropped between the first and second stages of separation.

The crew is said to have landed south of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, and was hence transported by helicopter to a nearby city. A Roscosmos plane then flew the pair to Baikonur, where they were greeted on the tarmac by their families, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin, and other NASA and Roscosmos officials.

Hague and Ovchinin were taken to a local hospital for precautionary medical checks. They were scheduled to return to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, outside of Moscow, a day later. “Hague is expected to fly home to Houston next week,” a NASA statement said.

The astronauts forced into a Ballistic descent soon after ejecting. They landed a few hundred miles away from Baikonur and were rescued soon after. Russia has suspended manned flights and announced an investigation into the mishap.