SpaceX's Crew-10 mission has successfully docked at the International Space Station, bringing relief to two NASA astronauts who have been stranded in orbit for nine months.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule connected with the ISS at 4.04am GMT on Sunday. The mission paves the way for the return of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to Earth.
The veteran astronauts have remained aboard the station since last year.
Their extended stay became necessary after problems with Boeing's Starliner capsule forced NASA to bring the spacecraft back empty.
The veteran astronauts and retired Navy test pilots have remained aboard the station since last year
REUTERS
The Crew-10 astronauts arrived after a 29-hour journey from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The new arrivals include Americans Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russian Kirill Peskov.
They were welcomed by the station's seven-member crew, including Wilmore and Williams.
This team is scheduled to remain on the station for approximately six months.
Their arrival represents a routine crew rotation that has taken on added significance due to the circumstances of Wilmore and Williams' extended mission.
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The docking occurred early Sunday morning, bringing fresh personnel to the orbiting laboratory.
Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to depart the ISS on Wednesday as early as 8am GMT.
However, they will not be travelling alone on their return journey to Earth. American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will accompany them on the spacecraft.
Hague and Gorbunov arrived at the ISS in September aboard a Crew Dragon craft. The spacecraft had two empty seats specifically reserved for Wilmore and Williams.
The Crew Dragon has remained attached to the station since September, awaiting this crew exchange. The departure will mark the end of an unexpectedly long mission for Wilmore and Williams.
Their nine-month stay far exceeded their original mission timeline.
The mission became unexpectedly entangled in political controversy.
Former US president Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, who is also SpaceX's CEO, urged a quicker Crew-10 launch.
Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to depart the ISS on Wednesday as early as 8am GMT
REUTERS
They claimed, without evidence, that Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, had abandoned Wilmore and Williams on the station for political reasons.
Danish astronaut Andreas "Andy" Mogensen, who has twice flown to the ISS, firmly rejected these allegations.
"What a lie. And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media," Mogensen said.
Throughout their extended stay, Wilmore and Williams have continued conducting scientific research and routine maintenance alongside their colleagues.
Williams has expressed her eagerness to return home after the prolonged mission, telling reporters earlier this month that she was looking forward to reuniting with her family and two dogs.
"It's been a rollercoaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us," Williams said, referring to her family's experience during her extended stay.
