SpaceX launched a fresh crew to the International Space Station on Friday night to relieve NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in orbit for nearly nine months. Their return is scheduled for next week, subject to favorable weather conditions. The new team, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. These astronauts will spend six months aboard the International Space Station, while Wilmore and Williams provide a final briefing to their replacements before their long-awaited return home. Wilmore and Williams’ delay was caused by a series of issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule. After the vessel was deemed unsafe, SpaceX was called in to take over the mission. However, SpaceX’s capsule also faced delays due to battery repairs before it could be successfully launched. The duo’s extended stay was challenging for their families, but Wilmore and Williams continued to support the station, conducting experiments and completing multiple spacewalks. As Williams reflected, “This mission has brought a little attention… but I think the good part is more people are interested in what we’re doing in space.” A new quartet will now pick up where they left off.
