SpaceX capsule arrives at ISS to retrieve stranded NASA astronauts

A SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, carrying replacements for the two NASA astronauts who have been stranded in orbit since June.

The arriving crew included representatives from the US, Japan, and Russia, who were greeted by the two stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The pair will board their own SpaceX capsule later this week to return to Earth, completing an extended mission that began in June of last year.

Wilmore and Williams were originally scheduled to spend just one week aboard the ISS after launching on Boeing’s first astronaut flight. However, their trip resulted in an extra nine months after the Boeing Starliner capsule encountered multiple issues. NASA ultimately decided to return the Starliner to Earth without passengers, leaving the test pilots aboard the station to await the SpaceX replacement.

Upon the new crew’s arrival, Wilmore rang the ship’s bell in greeting. One crew member was seen playfully wearing a grey alien mask as he greeted the stranded astronauts.

"Houston, thank you for tuning in this early morning," Williams said to Misson Control. “It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive. Thank you so much.”

The SpaceX capsule that originally arrived at the ISS in September had two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams. However, their return was delayed after their replacements’ new capsule required extensive battery repairs, forcing an older capsule to be used instead. This pushed their return date to mid-March, the Associated Press reported.

Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts are scheduled to depart the ISS no earlier than Wednesday, pending weather conditions.