NASA's caught astronauts welcome their newly arrived replacements : NPR

This image made from video by NASA shows astronauts, including Takuya Onishi, center, greeting each other after the SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station, on Sunday.

This picture created from video by NASA reveals astronauts, together with Takuya Onishi, middle, greeting one another after the SpaceX capsule docked with the Worldwide Area Station, on Sunday.

AP/NASA

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Simply over a day after blasting off, a SpaceX crew capsule arrived on the Worldwide Area Station on Sunday, delivering the replacements for NASA’s two caught astronauts.

Astronauts Suni Williams (lower) and Butch Wilmore (left) were originally supposed to return to earth in June of last year. Instead, they've been part of the latest crew of the international space station, along with astronaut Nick Hague (right).

The 4 newcomers — representing the U.S., Japan and Russia — will spend the subsequent few days studying the station’s ins and outs from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Then the 2 will strap into their very own SpaceX capsule later this week, one which has been up there since final yr, to shut out an sudden prolonged mission that started final June.

Wilmore and Williams anticipated to be gone only a week once they launched on Boeing’s first astronaut flight. They hit the nine-month mark earlier this month.

The Boeing Starliner capsule encountered so many issues that NASA insisted it come again empty, leaving its check pilots behind to attend for a SpaceX carry.

Wilmore swung open the area station’s hatch after which rang the ship’s bell as the brand new arrivals floated in one after the other and have been greeted with hugs and handshakes.

“It was a beautiful day. Nice to see our buddies arrive,” Williams advised Mission Management.

This image made from video by NASA shows a SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts on final approach to the International Space Station before docking on Sunday.

This picture created from video by NASA reveals a SpaceX capsule carrying 4 astronauts on ultimate method to the Worldwide Area Station earlier than docking on Sunday.

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AP/NASA

Wilmore’s and Williams’ journey arrived again in late September with a downsized crew of two and two empty seats reserved for the leg again. However extra delays resulted when their replacements’ model new capsule wanted intensive battery repairs. An older capsule took its place, pushing up their return by a pair weeks to mid-March.

Climate allowing, the SpaceX capsule carrying Wilmore, Williams and two different astronauts will undock from the area station no sooner than Wednesday and splash down off Florida’s coast.

Till then, there will likely be 11 aboard the orbiting lab, representing the U.S., Russia and Japan.

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