More than a day since it was launched, the SpaceX crew capsule docked Sunday (March 16, 2025), bringing replacements for NASA’s two stranded astronauts with it.
The four new residents — one of whom represents America, while Japan and Russia get one each — will take several days studying the station’s layout from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Then the two will buckle into their own SpaceX capsule later this week, one that has been orbiting since last year, to end an unplanned long mission that started last June.
Wilmore and Williams thought they’d be away for just a week when they blasted off on Boeing’s first astronaut flight. They passed the nine-month milestone earlier this month.
The Boeing Starliner capsule had so many issues that NASA demanded it return empty, leaving its test pilots stranded to await a SpaceX ride.
Wilmore opened the space station’s hatch and then rang the ship’s bell as the new arrivals floated in one by one and were welcomed with hugs and handshakes.
Less than a day after launching, a SpaceX crew capsule docked at the International Space Station on Sunday (March 16, 2025), bringing in the replacements for NASA’s two stranded astronauts.
The four newcomers — from the U.S., Japan and Russia — will learn the station’s ropes over the next few days from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
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And then the two will climb into their own SpaceX capsule later this week, one that has been orbiting since last year, to wrap up an unplanned long mission that started last June.
Wilmore and Williams figured they’d be away for only a week when they flew aboard Boeing’s inaugural astronaut flight. They passed the nine-month benchmark earlier this month.
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The Boeing Starliner capsule had so many issues that NASA required it to return empty, abandoning its test pilots to wait for a SpaceX ride.
Wilmore opened the space station’s hatch and then tolled the ship’s bell as the new visitors floated in individually and were welcomed with hugs and handshakes.
“It was a great day. Wonderful to have our friends arrive,” Williams said to Mission Control.
Wilmore’s and Williams’ return ride came home in late September with a reduced crew of two and two empty seats held over for the way back. But further delays ensued when their replacement’s new capsule required a lot of battery work. An older capsule was substituted instead, bumping their return up a couple of weeks to mid-March.
Weather permitting, the SpaceX capsule that has Wilmore, Williams and two other astronauts aboard will undock from the space station no earlier than Wednesday and splash down off the coast of Florida.
Until then, there will be 11 on board the orbiting laboratory, the U.S., Russia and Japan.
