Astronauts Welcome New Crew With Playful ‘Alien’ Encounter at ISS
US astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded in space for nine months, were greeted by an unexpected ‘alien’ visitor when the newly arrived SpaceX Crew-9 docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday (March 16).
In footage shared by the ISS on X, Crew-9 commander Nick Hague was seen entering the spacecraft hatch wearing an alien face mask. He floated toward a smiling Williams and Wilmore, playfully pointing off-camera before drifting away. Hague sported the extraterrestrial disguise while awaiting the arrival of Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Pesko, who are replacing him and his Crew-9 team.
Notably, Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, in space since last September, will join Williams and Wilmore on their long-awaited return to Earth. Williams, capturing the lighthearted moment on camera, expressed her joy to mission control.
“Houston, thank you for tuning in this early morning. It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive. Thank you so much,” she said after hugging the incoming crew.
Social Media Buzzes Over ‘Alien’ Astronaut at ISS
Nick Hague’s playful stunt didn’t escape the attention of sharp-eyed social media users, who were amused by the sight of an astronaut floating in the ISS while wearing an alien mask.
One user joked, “What’s with the guy in the alien mask? Is no one else seeing that? Did I miss something here?”
Another praised the moment, saying, “Amazing. Love the camaraderie and happy to see their sense of humor is intact! Safe journey back home.”
A third quipped, “Why is no one talking about the alien caught on camera?”
When Are Williams and Wilmore Returning?
NASA announced on Sunday evening that the anticipated return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore has been rescheduled. Their ocean splashdown off the Florida coast is now set for 5:57 PM EDT on Tuesday (3:27 AM IST, Wednesday)—earlier than the initially expected Wednesday timeline.
Williams and Wilmore originally traveled to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule on June 5 last year for what was meant to be an eight-day test mission. However, due to safety concerns with the Boeing capsule, their stay extended into a nine-month ordeal—far exceeding the usual six-month rotation for ISS astronauts.
