After nearly nine months aboard the ISS, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally set to return home. A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule successfully docked with the ISS early Sunday, delivering four new crew members to replace them.
The mission, part of NASA's routine crew rotation, had taken on heightened urgency after a technical failure with Boeing's Starliner capsule left Wilmore and Williams without a return vehicle, forcing NASA to adjust its plans and rely on SpaceX for their return.
The new arrivals—two NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut—will remain on the station for about six months, continuing research and maintenance tasks while also preparing for future missions and upgrades to the station's systems.
Wilmore and Williams are expected to depart Wednesday morning, along with two other crew members, aboard a previously docked Crew Dragon. For now, all that remains is to wish Wilmore and Williams a safe return home after their long, unexpected journey.