SpaceX successfully docked its Crew-9 mission with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, marking a significant step toward bringing back two astronauts who had been stranded on the ISS. The mission, which launched on Saturday at 1:17 pm (1717 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, saw the Dragon spacecraft reach the station at 5:30 pm the following day.

After docking, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov joined their ISS colleagues just after 7:00 pm, greeted with warm embraces as they floated into the station. NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy expressed her excitement during a press conference, calling it "a fabulous day."

Hague and Gorbunov’s mission, scheduled to last until February, will include bringing back seasoned astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The pair’s original stay on the ISS, which began in June, was extended due to technical issues with their Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft. Initially intended to stay for just eight days, their mission was extended after problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system were discovered.

NASA had initially hoped to resolve the Starliner issues while Wilmore and Williams remained on board, but after several weeks of testing, the decision was made to return the spacecraft to Earth without its crew. SpaceX's Crew-9 mission was chosen to ferry the two astronauts back home instead.

SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has been conducting regular crew rotations to the ISS every six months. The Crew-9 mission, originally set to launch in mid-August, was delayed until late September to allow NASA additional time to assess the Starliner's reliability. Further delays occurred due to Hurricane Helene, which impacted Florida shortly before the launch.

During their time on the ISS, Hague and Gorbunov will carry out around 200 scientific experiments. Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams will conclude an extended eight-month stay upon their return.