A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts successfully docked with the ISS at 12:04 am ET (04:04 GMT) on Sunday, about 29 hours after launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The newly arrived Crew-10 astronauts were greeted by the station’s current seven-member crew, including Wilmore and Williams.
Wilmore and Williams were originally meant to return aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was undergoing its maiden crewed test flight. However, due to propulsion issues, the capsule was deemed unsafe for their journey back to Earth. As a result, the two astronauts remained on the ISS far beyond the usual six-month rotation period.
While their extended stay was significant, it falls short of the U.S. spaceflight record of 371 days set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023, and the world record of 437 days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.
NASA had long planned for Wilmore and Williams’ return, but the process gained urgency under the administration of President Donald Trump, who took office in January. Their return journey is scheduled for Wednesday at approximately 4 am ET (08:00 GMT).
They will depart aboard the same Crew Dragon spacecraft that brought NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS in September. That capsule, which has been docked at the station since then, has two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams.
With the Crew-10 arrival, the ISS will now host a fresh team of astronauts for a six-month mission. The new arrivals include NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. Their mission will involve a mix of scientific research, station maintenance, and preparations for upcoming deep-space exploration projects.
As Wilmore and Williams prepare for their long-awaited journey back to Earth, NASA and SpaceX continue to refine their crew transportation systems, ensuring the safety and reliability of future missions.
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