SpaceX launches crew to International Space station to replace stuck NASA astronauts

After nine long months stuck in space, NASA’s astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally have replacements on their way to the International Space Station. The relief team was launched on Friday night by SpaceX, with arrival scheduled for late Saturday night. This paves the way for Wilmore and Williams to return home after their extended stay.

NASA is aiming for overlap between the two crews so that Wilmore and Williams can brief the newcomers on the current situation aboard the space station. Once this handover is complete, the plan is for Wilmore and Williams to undock next week and splashdown off the Florida coast, weather permitting. They will be escorted back by astronauts who flew up on a rescue mission on SpaceX last September, alongside two empty seats reserved for the returning duo.

The latest crew includes NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, both military pilots, as well as Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov, both former airline pilots. They are set to spend the next six months at the space station before Wilmore and Williams are sent home.

The journey for Wilmore and Williams was initially meant to be just a week long when they launched from Cape Canaveral on June 5 as test pilots for Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, a series of technical issues forced them to stay longer, leading to delays and investigations by NASA and Boeing. Eventually, NASA deemed it unsafe for Starliner to return with the astronauts on board, prompting their move to a SpaceX flight.

The mission took a political turn when U.S. President Donald Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk vowed to expedite the astronauts’ return, blaming the previous administration for the delays. Despite the challenges, Wilmore and Williams have remained supportive of the decisions made by NASA and have continued to carry out their duties on the space station.

The extended stay has been particularly tough on their families, but both astronauts are looking forward to reuniting with their loved ones. Wilmore, a church elder, is eager to resume his ministry work, while Williams is excited to walk her two Labrador retrievers again. Despite the difficulties, they both appreciate the support and attention their mission has garnered, hoping to inspire more people to take an interest in space exploration.