SpaceX capsule successfully arrives at International Space Station to bring home stranded NASA astronauts in 2025

The SpaceX shuttle, with two members of Crew-9, docked in the dark as the craft was orbiting over 250 miles from the Earth's surface. Concerns over the Boeing Starliner shuttle forced NASA to team up with the private company, founded by Elon Musk.

NASA decided that Boeing’s Starliner, which had helium leaks as well as thruster failures that cropped up after they took off in June, had risks too serious to be able to use it to return Willam and Willmore back to Earth, per the Daily Mail. The Dragon capsule was carrying Nick Hague and the Russian Space Agency's Alexander Gorbunov, leaving two empty seats for Willmore and Williams.

Hague said of the flight up to the space station, "Coming through the hatch and seeing all the smiles, and as much as I've laughed and cried in the last 10 minutes, I know it's going to be an amazing expedition."

The two astronauts, who have been stranded at the ISS, will remain there until February, after they and others perform some tests. The original trip was only supposed to be one week for Williams and Willmore but will end up taking around eight months.

Despite the failures from Boeing, NASA's associate administrator Jim Free told reporters in a pre-launch briefing, "We're a long way from saying, 'Hey, we're writing off Boeing.'"

Musk has announced bigger plans for space travel as well related to SpaceX. The tech CEO and entrepreneur has talked to GOP nominee Donald Trump about the potential for space exploration as well as the importance of securing outer space for American colonization in the future. Musk also announced plans to launch manned and unmanned launches to Mars in upcoming years.