NASA Astronaut's 'Alien' Prank Welcomes SpaceX Crew to ISS

NASA astronauts proved they don’t leave their humor on Earth during the SpaceX Crew-10 docking on the International Space Station (ISS). On Sunday morning, the new arrivals were greeted by an unlikely host—an "alien."

Nick Hague, commander of Crew-9, decided to spice up the welcome by donning an alien mask, paired with a hoodie, pants, and socks. Floating around the station in this quirky ensemble, Hague greeted the four newcomers who had arrived aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The capsule docked at 12:04 a.m., marking the end of their 29-hour journey after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday evening.

After preparations to deboard, the "alien" host made his surprise appearance. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, alongside JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, entered the ISS at 1:35 a.m. EDT, as the hatch between the station and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft was opened.

Commander Suni Williams rang the ship’s bell to mark the arrival as the new crew members floated in, shaking hands and hugging the Expedition 72 team. Hague’s cheeky prank was a lighthearted start to what Williams described as a "wonderful day." “Great to see our friends arrive,” she told Mission Control.

For Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore, this mission marks the end of an extended stay on the ISS. Initially scheduled for one week, their mission stretched to nine months due to complications with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which had to return empty after technical issues.

Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are set to depart the ISS early Wednesday morning, splashing down off Florida's coast. Until then, the new crew will be introduced to the ins and outs of their new space home—a process that undoubtedly begins with memorable moments like Hague's "alien" antics.