SpaceX rescue mission capsule arrives at ISS for astronauts stuck since June after Boeing Starliner failure

The two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June have welcomed their new ride home with the arrival of a SpaceX capsule.

SpaceX launched the rescue mission on Saturday with a downsized crew of two astronauts and two empty seats reserved for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will return in 2025.

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The Dragon capsule docked in darkness on Sunday high over Botswana as the two craft soared 420km above Earth.

NASA switched Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX following concerns over the safety of their Boeing Starliner capsule.

It was the first Starliner test flight with a crew, and NASA decided the thruster failures and helium leaks that cropped up after liftoff were too serious and poorly understood, risking the test pilots’ return.

So Starliner returned to Earth empty earlier in September.

Boeing Astronaut LaunchBoeing Astronaut Launch
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stranded on the International Space Station. Credit: AAP

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The Dragon carrying NASA’s Nick Hague and the Russian Space Agency’s Alexander Gorbunov will remain at the space station until February, turning what should have been a week-long trip for Wilmore and Williams into a mission lasting more than eight months.

Two NASA astronauts were pulled from the mission to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return leg.

NASA likes to replace its station crews every six months or so.

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