A day after liftoff, a SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday (March 16) to replace two stranded NASA astronauts.
Why It Matters
NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams have been stuck in space for 9 months due to mechanical problems. The astronauts were sent to the International Space Station on June 5, 2024, on a test flight of the Starliner, a spacecraft built under contract by NASA and Boeing.
The mission that astronauts Wilmore and Williams embarked on was originally intended to last eight days, but NASA officials said that propulsion problems made it unsafe for the astronauts to return to the Starliner. NASA then had to find an alternative way to return the two astronauts home.
Among the new crew are NASA’s Anne McClain, the commander, and Nichole Ayers, the pilot. Also present are Japanese mission specialist Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, the new astronauts who will learn about the space station from Wilmore and Williams over the next few days.
Also Read: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission successfully launched with four astronauts
Then, the two astronauts will enter their own SpaceX capsule later this week and end the unpredictable nine-month-long mission.
Developed by Boeing under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the Boeing Starliner capsule encountered so many problems that NASA ultimately decided to return it empty, leaving test pilots Wilmore and Williams to wait for help from SpaceX.
Joyful scenes unfold aboard the ISS as Wilmore opens the station’s hatch and rings the ship’s bell to welcome the four newly arrived astronauts. And the astronauts floated and exchanged greetings with hugs and handshakes.
In a recent clip shared on X, NASA’s Johnson Space Center shared that four astronauts who had just arrived at the International Space Station were greeted by an orbital sunrise shortly after docking.
Although Wilmore and Williams faced challenges and delays due to mechanical problems, they supported NASA’s decisions and continued to actively contribute to the operation of the space station.
Among women, Williams set a new record for the longest spacewalk, causing a stir around the world, and currently has a total of nine spacewalks.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams told Mission Control that it was a great day for her and “great to see our friends come.”
Astronaut Anne McClain, 45, said minutes into the flight, “Space travel is tough, but humans are tougher.”
What Happens Next?
According to Newsweek, depending on the weather, the SpaceX capsule will separate from the space station after Wednesday, March 19, and land on the Florida coast. And importantly, until then, the orbiting laboratory will have a total of 11 members.
This article’s content is sourced from Newsweek.
