The International Space Station welcomed four new astronauts aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon on Sunday, finally paving the way for the return of two NASA astronauts who have been on the ISS since June 2024.
The Crew-10 crew consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, who arrived at the space station shortly after 1:35 a.m. ET along with Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
They were met by the current ISS crew, including NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. The event means Williams and Wilmore can return home safely after a mission that lasted longer than expected.
Williams and Wilmore were originally part of Boeing's Starliner crew test flight, which launched at 10:52 a.m. ET on June 5, 2024, from the Cape Canaveral space station in Florida. The goal of the test was to validate Starliner's ability to transport a crew to and from the ISS, a major step in NASA's commercial crew program.
Starliner encountered technical problems as it approached the ISS, including failures of several of its rearward-facing thrusters, but it eventually managed to dock with the ISS the following day.
Williams and Wilmore were originally expected to stay on the ISS for just eight days, but their stay was extended as authorities on Earth considered options for their return home.
Ultimately, NASA deemed it too risky to return the pair aboard Starliner, which returned to Earth uncrewed on September 7, 2024.
The space agency then explored alternative options for their return, including SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which launched on September 28, 2024. However, to maintain a full crew on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore remained on board until Crew-10 arrived.
With the arrival of Crew-10, Williams and Wilmore are now preparing to return home, completing their lengthy mission aboard the ISS.
Sourse: www.upi.com
