A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS), setting the stage for the eventual return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded in orbit since June. The docking occurred at 21:30 GMT on Sunday, as confirmed by both NASA and SpaceX.
Upon arrival, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov boarded the ISS shortly after the capsule’s docking. The SpaceX Crew-9 mission was originally intended to ferry four astronauts to the ISS. However, two seats were reallocated for Wilmore and Williams after their Boeing Starliner capsule was deemed unfit for their return due to thruster failures and helium leaks.
Wilmore and Williams, both former military test pilots, have been on the ISS for an extended period following the decision to send the Starliner back to Earth without them earlier this month. They are now scheduled to return home with Hague and Gorbunov aboard the Crew Dragon in February 2025, marking an unexpected eight-month stay in space instead of the planned eight-day mission.
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