Two astronauts stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for more than nine months are expected to return safely to Earth with the assistance of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao said Saturday on Newsmax’s “America Right Now.”

A replacement crew for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Friday, paving the way for the long-awaited return of Wilmore and Williams. They are set to arrive at the ISS late Saturday night.

“We had a very successful launch last night,” Chiao said. “It was a flawless launch, actually. They will arrive at the station a little bit later tonight, open the hatches, [and] be welcomed onboard. Everybody will celebrate their arrival, and then they’re going to have a shortened handover.”

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.