A crew has been welcomed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to replace two astronauts who have been stranded there for nine months. The SpaceX capsule, carrying four astronauts, successfully docked with the ISS at 4.04am UK time after launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop the Falcon 9 rocket.
The new crew, known as Crew-10, includes NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. They will spend the next six months at the ISS, allowing the current Crew-9 members, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to return to Earth.
### A Warm Welcome in Space
It was a momentous occasion as the Dragon craft, with Crew-10 on board, docked at the ISS. The crew was greeted with hugs and handshakes as they floated in one by one. Butch Wilmore, who had been stranded on the ISS, swung open the hatch and rang the ship’s bell to mark the arrival of the new crew.
Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams found themselves stuck in space after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft encountered technical issues. Despite several unsuccessful attempts to bring them back to Earth, they remained on the station until the arrival of Crew-10.
### Joy and Relief in Space
After the successful docking, Suni Williams expressed her joy, stating, “It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive.” The sentiment was echoed by Anne McClain, who said, “Crew-10 has had a great journey up here, and I cannot tell you the immense joy of our crew when we looked out the window and saw the space station for the first time.”
The crew will spend the next few days familiarizing themselves with the station’s operations under the guidance of Wilmore and Williams. Later in the week, Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams will return to Earth in their own capsule, closing out the unexpected extended mission that kept them in space for nine months.
### The Journey Home
Weather permitting, the SpaceX capsule carrying the astronauts will undock from the ISS no earlier than Wednesday and splash down off the coast of Florida. Delays in their return were caused by repairs needed on the new Crew-10 capsule, which was replaced by an older capsule, pushing their return to mid-March.
The crew’s arrival marked a significant milestone in space exploration, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of astronauts in the face of unforeseen challenges. As they prepare for their journey home, the camaraderie and shared experiences of the astronauts serve as a testament to the spirit of human exploration and collaboration in space.
