A SpaceX crew capsule successfully reached the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, bringing four new astronauts. These astronauts, from the U.S., Japan, and Russia, will spend the next few days learning how things work on the ISS from Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stuck there for months.
Why Are These Astronauts Stuck in Space?
Wilmore and Williams launched on Boeing’s first astronaut flight last June. They were supposed to return in just a week, but unexpected problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule forced them to stay much longer. NASA decided it was safer to send the Starliner back to Earth empty, leaving the two astronauts waiting for another way home.
A Warm Welcome in Space As the new crew arrived, Wilmore opened the station’s hatch and rang the ship’s bell. One by one, the newcomers floated in, greeted with hugs and handshakes. “It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive,” Williams told Mission Control.
When Will They Finally Return? The plan is for Wilmore and Williams to return later this week. They will use a different SpaceX capsule that has been at the ISS since last year. Their trip home was delayed even further when their replacements’ new capsule needed battery repairs. Now, they are set to leave by mid-March, weather permitting.
Who Is on the Space Station Now? With the arrival of the new astronauts, the ISS now has 11 crew members from the U.S., Russia, and Japan. Once Wilmore and Williams leave, the space station will return to its usual crew size.
What’s Next? The SpaceX capsule carrying Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts is scheduled to undock from the ISS no earlier than Wednesday. If everything goes as planned, they will splash down off the coast of Florida, finally ending their unexpected nine-month mission in space.
