Sunita Williams, ISS crew welcome new astronauts to space station with warm hugs; watch video

Two astronauts on a SpaceX mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday and were warmly welcomed by the crew, including Commander Sunita Williams. The moment, captured on video, showed NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov being greeted with hugs and smiles by their colleagues on the space station.

This mission is special because Hague and Gorbunov will be the ones to eventually bring Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore back to Earth. Wilmore and Williams have been stuck on the ISS for months due to problems with the Boeing spacecraft that was supposed to return them.

Wilmore and Williams were originally supposed to stay on the ISS for just over a week after arriving in June aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. However, the Starliner experienced technical issues, including problems with its propulsion system, which made it unsafe for the astronauts to return on it. The spacecraft had to come back to Earth without its crew in September, leaving the two astronauts stranded in space.

NASA decided that the safest option was to wait for SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission to bring them home. The Crew-9 mission was delayed several times, first to give NASA more time to test the Starliner and later due to Hurricane Helene hitting Florida.

A Happy Arrival
SpaceX launched the Crew-9 mission on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Hague and Gorbunov arrived at the ISS on Sunday and boarded the space station just after. They were welcomed with hugs by the entire crew, including Commander Williams, who was visibly happy to see them.

This was a joyful moment for the crew, especially for Williams and Wilmore, who have been waiting for a new way to get back home. Williams has taken on extra responsibilities during her extended stay on the ISS.

Hague and Gorbunov will spend five months aboard the ISS, where they will take part in more than 200 scientific experiments. Wilmore and Williams, whose short mission turned into an eight-month stay, will return to Earth with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2024.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy called it "a fabulous day" in a news conference after the successful docking. She praised the teamwork and dedication that made the mission possible.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft had major technical problems during its first crewed mission, leading NASA to cancel its return flight with the astronauts. This put SpaceX in charge of the rescue mission.

SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, has been regularly flying astronauts to the ISS for NASA. Crew-9 marks SpaceX's 10th mission since 2020, showing the company’s growing role in NASA’s space operations.