SpaceX Crew-9, Sunita Williams' new ride home, arrives at space station

Nasa's decision to switch Williams and Wilmore to SpaceX has extended their mission on the ISS by several months. Originally scheduled to return after an eight-day mission, they will now remain on the station until late February.

In Short

• Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore stranded since June
• Crew Dragon launched with Nick Hague, Alexander Gorbunov
• Williams, Wilmore to return to Earth in late February

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, designated for the rescue mission of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), has successfully docked at the orbiting facility.

The two Nasa astronauts, who were initially expected to spend just over a week in space, have now been awaiting their return since June due to safety concerns with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

The Crew Dragon capsule, part of the Crew-9 mission, launched on Saturday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying Nasa’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. The capsule docked at the ISS at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, reported CNN.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed the successful docking, tweeting, “Dragon has reached @Space_Station.”

Sunita Williams, who has been promoted to commander of the ISS, welcomed the new arrivals, saying, "I just want to say welcome to our new compadres," as Hague and Gorbunov joined the nine astronauts already on board.

The extended stay of Williams and Wilmore was necessitated by technical issues with the Boeing Starliner, which was on its first crewed test flight. The Starliner encountered thruster failures and helium leaks shortly after liftoff, prompting Nasa to deem it too risky for the astronauts' return.

As a result, the Starliner returned to Earth empty earlier this month, landing safely in the New Mexico desert.

Nasa opted to use a SpaceX Crew Dragon to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth, a decision that required adjusting the crew manifest. Two astronauts, rookie Zena Cardman and veteran Stephanie Wilson, were pulled from the Crew-9 mission to make room for the stranded astronauts on the return leg.

The arrival of Hague and Gorbunov means that four astronauts who have been on the ISS since March can now prepare to return to Earth in their own SpaceX capsule within the next week. This will bring the station’s crew size back to its normal seven members, after being temporarily increased due to the delays caused by the Starliner's issues.

Wilmore and Williams, both retired Navy captains and seasoned Nasa astronauts, have adapted to their extended mission, actively participating in routine maintenance and scientific experiments on the ISS.

Their return is now scheduled for late February, marking a total stay of more than eight months in space, far exceeding their original eight-day itinerary.

Hague, who is leading the rescue mission, acknowledged the task that lies ahead, stating, "We’ve got a dynamic challenge ahead of us. We know each other and we’re professionals and we step up and do what’s asked of us."

With inputs from Agencies