NASA's marooned astronauts greet their freshly arrived substitutes
Just over a day after launching, a SpaceX crew capsule docked at the International Space Station on Sunday, bringing replacements for NASA's two stranded astronauts. The four new arrivals—representing the U.S., Japan, and Russia—will spend...
TroibNews 
Just over a day after launching, a SpaceX crew capsule docked at the International Space Station on Sunday, bringing replacements for NASA's two stranded astronauts.
The four new arrivals—representing the U.S., Japan, and Russia—will spend some time familiarizing themselves with the station under the guidance of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Later this week, Wilmore and Williams will board their own SpaceX capsule, which has been at the station since last year, to conclude an unexpectedly extended mission that began last June.
When they launched on Boeing's first astronaut flight, Wilmore and Williams anticipated a one-week stay. However, they reached the nine-month mark earlier this month.
The Boeing Starliner capsule faced numerous issues, prompting NASA to require it to return empty and leave its test pilots behind while awaiting a SpaceX transport.
As the seven crew members on the space station prepared for the new arrivals, Ivan Vagner, one of the Russian astronauts, humorously donned an alien mask. Wilmore opened the hatch of the space station and rang the ship's bell as the new crew floated in one by one, greeted with hugs and handshakes.
"It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive," Williams told Mission Control.
Wilmore's and Williams' previous spacecraft returned in late September with a reduced crew of two and two vacant seats for the journey back. However, delays occurred when their replacements' brand new capsule required significant battery repairs. An older capsule was used instead, adjusting their return to mid-March.
Weather permitting, the SpaceX capsule transporting Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts will undock from the space station early Tuesday, aiming to splash down off Florida's coast later that evening.
Until then, the orbiting lab will host 11 crew members from the U.S., Russia, and Japan.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
The four new arrivals—representing the U.S., Japan, and Russia—will spend some time familiarizing themselves with the station under the guidance of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Later this week, Wilmore and Williams will board their own SpaceX capsule, which has been at the station since last year, to conclude an unexpectedly extended mission that began last June.
When they launched on Boeing's first astronaut flight, Wilmore and Williams anticipated a one-week stay. However, they reached the nine-month mark earlier this month.
The Boeing Starliner capsule faced numerous issues, prompting NASA to require it to return empty and leave its test pilots behind while awaiting a SpaceX transport.
As the seven crew members on the space station prepared for the new arrivals, Ivan Vagner, one of the Russian astronauts, humorously donned an alien mask. Wilmore opened the hatch of the space station and rang the ship's bell as the new crew floated in one by one, greeted with hugs and handshakes.
"It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive," Williams told Mission Control.
Wilmore's and Williams' previous spacecraft returned in late September with a reduced crew of two and two vacant seats for the journey back. However, delays occurred when their replacements' brand new capsule required significant battery repairs. An older capsule was used instead, adjusting their return to mid-March.
Weather permitting, the SpaceX capsule transporting Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts will undock from the space station early Tuesday, aiming to splash down off Florida's coast later that evening.
Until then, the orbiting lab will host 11 crew members from the U.S., Russia, and Japan.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
