SpaceX launched a fresh crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday night, setting the stage for Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return home after nine months in space.— SpaceX (@SpaceX) The new team—Nasa’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov—blasted off from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX capsule. Their arrival, expected late Saturday, will allow Wilmore and Williams to hand over operations before their scheduled departure next week, pending weather conditions. https://www.youtube.com/live/yf8uN4VGCCs?si=vIKzSpPABQ0CLEXg Wilmore and Williams originally launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June for what was meant to be a short test mission. However, technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster failures, forced Nasa to delay their return, eventually deciding to bring them back on a SpaceX mission. Their homecoming was further postponed due to battery repairs on a new SpaceX capsule, prompting the agency to use a refurbished one to speed up the process.— SpaceX (@SpaceX) During their extended stay, Wilmore and Williams continued ISS maintenance, including fixing a toilet, watering plants, and conducting experiments. Williams also set a record for the most spacewalking time by a female astronaut. The delay became politically charged when former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claimed the previous administration had stalled the astronauts' return. However, Wilmore and Williams have consistently backed Nasa’s decision-making. With their return now imminent, both astronauts expressed excitement about reuniting with their families. Wilmore, a church elder, looks forward to resuming in-person ministry, while Williams is eager to walk her Labrador retrievers. “We appreciate all the love and support from everybody,” Williams said earlier this week. “This mission has brought a little attention … but I think the good part is more and more people have been interested in what we’re doing” with space exploration.