A SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, carrying four new crew members from the United States, Japan, and Russia. Their mission: to take over from NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been unexpectedly stuck in orbit since last June.
Wilmore and Williams initially flew aboard Boeing’s first astronaut launch, anticipating just a short stay at the station. However, repeated technical issues prompted NASA to bring their Boeing Starliner capsule back to Earth without a crew. As a result, Wilmore and Williams have waited for another way home, far longer than planned.
In late September, a downsized SpaceX crew capsule arrived with extra seats for the returning astronauts. Additional delays occurred when the crew’s new replacement capsule encountered battery problems, ultimately pushing the handover date to mid-March.
With the new team settling in, Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to depart in their own SpaceX capsule, weather permitting, no earlier than Wednesday. After undocking from the station, they will splash down in waters off the coast of Florida, concluding a mission length that far exceeded their original expectations.
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