Two astronauts who have been stuck in space since June 2024 are one step closer to finally coming home.
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore took off in the early summer, intending to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on their spacecraft and return eight days after their arrival. During their journey, however, their vehicle began experiencing helium leaks, pushing fuel into the propulsion system — resulting in a breakdown of their thrusters.
Highlights
- Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are finally returning home after being stranded in space since June 2024.
- Things went wrong when a helium leak occurred, causing the spacecraft's thrusters to fail.
- Crew Dragon 10 launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to bring them back, arriving at the ISS on March 16, 2025.
They were then slated to stay on the ISS until February 2025 when they could return back to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are finally returning home
Image credits: astro_Pettit
And now they’ve made good on that promise — even though it’s a month later than anticipated.
On Friday, March 14, SpaceX launched Crew Dragon 10 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the station to relieve Crew-9 members, who now consist of Williams, Wilmore, as well as Aleksandr Gorbunov and commander Nick Hague, from their duties.
Initially Hague and Gorbunov were set to help Williams and Wilmore land back home, but the plan fell through due to the lack of an emergency pod that the space station would have needed for the remaining crews.
The Crew Dragon capsule, called Endurance, was captured by the ISS just after midnight ET on Sunday, March 16.
Image credits: NASA
Wilmore was responsible for opening the capsule hatch and linking the station with the spacecraft, subsequently ringing the bell as the new arrivals boarded, exchanging handshakes and hugs with one another.
Williams, who had been taking pictures of it all, then spoke to mission control.
“Houston, thank you for tuning in this early morning,” she announced. “It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive. Thank you so much.”
Crew Dragon 10 was captured by the ISS
Image credits: NASA
Image credits: NASA
But as he was waiting for the arrival of astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, Hague decided to have a little fun.
While livestreaming the occasion, the astronaut decided to wear a gray alien mask and black hoodie, stopping occasionally to gesture towards something out of the camera’s view.
The light-hearted little moment was a breath of fresh air for everyone, including those watching.
Williams and Wilmore had been stranded in space for months on end
Image credits: NASA
“They have a sense of humor up there,” read one comment.
“I knew it!!! Watching the SpaceX Dragon capsule docking live I caught a glimpse of a damn alien wearing a hoodie!!! I KNEW IT!!!” laughed another.
A third wrote on X, “What can i say? i’m loving the alien mask.”
Image credits: NASA
While it certainly isn’t spooky season, the costume is similar to the traditions astronauts would participate in during or around Halloween.
According to The New York Post, crew members tend to wear their best (or sometimes only) costumes in honor of the holiday.
In the past, NASA astronauts have dressed up as characters such as Spider-Man, Darth Vader, a Minion, Waldo, and the Mario brothers.
A foreign alien face appeared during the NASA livestream
