<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station at 1:35 a.m. Eastern time, paving the way for Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore — two NASA astronauts who have remained in space for months longer than planned — to finally return home.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The Crew-10 mission, an international team of four astronauts from the U.S., Japan and Russia, joined Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore aboard the outpost in the early hours of Sunday. The crews will transfer duties before Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore return to Earth, along with two colleagues.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"><a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/briefing/bringing-astronauts-home.html" title="">It has been a long journey</a> for the pair, who initially arrived at the International Space Station last June on what was meant to be a brief, dayslong test flight of a new Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Instead, after malfunctions in the capsule, NASA scientists opted to leave the astronauts at the space station and bring back the Starliner empty.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore have lived on the space station for nine months, awaiting new crew members to relieve them of their duties so that operations can run smoothly. The capsule’s trip was due to launch in February but was delayed until this month.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="ImageBlock-3"><div data-testid="imageblock-wrapper"><figure aria-label="media" class="img-sz-medium css-d754w4 e1g7ppur0" role="group"><div class="css-1xdhyk6 erfvjey0" data-testid="photoviewer-children-figure"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Image</span><div class="css-nwd8t8" data-testid="lazy-image"><div data-testid="lazyimage-container" style="height:223.62222222222223px"></div></div></div><figcaption class="css-gbc9ki ewdxa0s0" data-testid="photoviewer-children-caption"><span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">The docking of the SpaceX capsule to the International Space Station on Sunday.</span><span class="css-14fe1uy e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span aria-hidden="false">NASA, via Associated Press</span></span></span></figcaption></figure></div></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-2"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Nine months is not an unusually long stay in space — many astronauts on the space station live there for months, and some have even lived there for more than a year. Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore have used the time to conduct experiments, many exploring what the absence of gravity does to a body.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The pair’s unexpectedly long stay in orbit has intrigued space nerds, hobbyists and members of the public alike, fascinated by their fate. Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore have embraced their circumstances, broadcasting regularly from the station and speaking fondly about their layover in space.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“It makes you really want to enjoy every bit of your time that you have up here,” <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/podcasts/the-daily/nasa-spacex-astronauts-iss-launch.html" title="">Ms. Williams told “The Daily” last week</a>.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">After the crews conduct handover duties, the pair will begin their journey back to Earth, possibly as early as Wednesday morning.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-5"></div><div data-testid="RelatedLinksBlock-6"><div data-testid="lazy-loader"></div></div>