(Image source from: x.com/Commercial_Crew)
On Sunday, a duo of astronauts who have been isolated on the International Space Station for over nine months moved closer to their return to Earth as a new crew arrived at the space station. Live broadcasts captured the moment when the astronauts joyfully embraced their new crewmates in the weightlessness of the ISS after their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at 0545 GMT. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stranded in space since June due to propulsion problems during the first crewed flight of the Boeing Starliner, which rendered it unsuitable for their return. Williams expressed her delight, stating it was a "wonderful day" and that it was "great to see our friends arrive," shortly after her colleagues made their entrance into the orbital laboratory. Videos shared online by fellow NASA astronaut Don Pettit depicted the Crew Dragon as it made its approach to the ISS while orbiting the planet. The Starliner had previously returned to Earth without a crew, without any significant complications, leaving Wilmore and Williams to endure an unanticipated nine-month stay instead of the expected few days.
Have a great time in space, y'all!
— NASA (@NASA) March 14, 2025
#Crew10 lifted off from @NASAKennedy at 7:03pm ET (2303 UTC) on Friday, March 14. pic.twitter.com/9Vf7VVeGev
Their extended mission surpassed the typical six-month rotation for astronauts aboard the ISS. Nevertheless, it falls short of the United States record of 371 days, established by NASA’s Frank Rubio in 2023, and the global record of 437 consecutive days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on the Mir space station. The unexpected length of their absence from family, which necessitated the receipt of extra clothing and personal items due to inadequate initial packing, attracted global interest and sympathy. As preparations begin for their return and the splashdown in the ocean off Florida, Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to depart no earlier than March 19. They will be joined on the return journey by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard the Dragon capsule.
A new crew is on its way to the @Space_Station!
— NASA (@NASA) March 15, 2025
#Crew10 lifted off from @NASAKennedy at 7:03pm ET (2303 UTC) on Friday, March 14, to set new scientific frontiers in low Earth orbit: https://t.co/JPV9nCiz4t pic.twitter.com/I28A8yLoDJ
The new Crew-10 team launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday. This group includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. Throughout their mission, the team will engage in various scientific experiments, such as flammability assessments aimed at future spacecraft designs and studies on the impact of space travel on the human body.
