A SpaceX crew capsule successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, delivering a new team of astronauts to replace Nasa’s two stranded crew members; Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stuck in orbit for over nine months.
The four new arrivals, representing the United States, Japan, and Russia, will spend the next few days learning the station’s ins and outs under the guidance of Wilmore and Williams.
Stranded for nine months
Wilmore and Williams initially launched aboard Boeing’s first astronaut flight, expecting a brief weeklong stay. However, their Boeing Starliner capsule developed multiple technical issues, forcing Nasa to abandon the plan for it to return with the crew. Instead, the space agency opted to bring the astronauts back on a SpaceX vehicle.
A SpaceX capsule was dispatched in September with two crew members and two empty seats reserved for the stranded astronauts. But their return was delayed further when their replacements’ newly built capsule required extensive battery repairs, prompting Nasa to switch to an older, pre-tested capsule.
Return scheduled for mid-March
With their replacements now onboard the ISS, Wilmore and Williams are set to return home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule alongside two other astronauts. If weather conditions permit, the capsule is scheduled to undock no earlier than Wednesday, before making a splashdown landing off Florida’s coast.
