Wilmore and Williams flew to the orbital lab in June final 12 months, on what was alleged to be a days-long roundtrip to check out Boeing’s Starliner on its first crewed flight.
However the spaceship developed propulsion issues and was deemed unfit to fly them again, as a substitute returning empty.
Ex-Navy pilots Wilmore and Williams, 62 and 59 respectively, have been reassigned to the NASA-SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which noticed a Dragon spacecraft fly to the ISS final September with a crew of two, reasonably than the standard 4, to make room for the “stranded” pair.
Then, early on Sunday, a reduction crew referred to as Crew-10 docked with the station, their arrival met with broad smiles and hugs as they floated via the hatch.
Crew-10’s arrival cleared the best way for Wilmore and Williams to depart, together with Hague and Gorbunov.
After huge hugs from the crew remaining on the ISS, the quartet entered the capsule and closed its hatch on Tuesday.
“Colleagues and expensive associates who stay on the station … we’ll be ready for you. Crew-9 goes house”, Hague stated.
