A SpaceX crew capsule has successfully arrived at the International Space Station, bringing much-needed replacements for two NASA astronauts stranded in orbit for nine months.
The four new arrivals—from the US, Japan and Russia—were welcomed aboard the ISS on Sunday by NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck on the station since last June after their original spacecraft encountered technical problems.
Wilmore and Williams initially expected their mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule to last only a week, but ongoing faults with the capsule meant NASA ordered it to return empty, leaving them waiting for a ride home with SpaceX.
After docking, Wilmore opened the hatch to greet the incoming astronauts, who will replace him and Williams aboard the station. The two veterans originally expected a short stay after their June launch aboard the faulty Boeing capsule.
NASA had initially planned to return the pair home earlier, but delays arose when the original replacement SpaceX capsule required extensive battery repairs. An older capsule was eventually used instead, pushing back their return by a few weeks to mid-March.
Weather permitting, Wilmore, Williams and two fellow astronauts will now depart the ISS aboard a SpaceX capsule later this month.
