NASA astronaut Sunita Williams will make her way back with Butch Wilmore on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in February 2025. NASA SpaceX Crew-9, comprising astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will launch for the International Space Station on September 26. Notably, Hague will be the commander, and Gorbunov will be the mission specialist.
NASA's astronauts, Hague and Gorbunov, have already touched down at the Launch and Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The duo will now undergo a quarantine period at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building. During their quarantine, they'll practice mission procedures like dry dress rehearsals, adjust their sleep schedules to match mission requirements, and connect with loved ones.
The crew's mission is expected to last five months. They'll carry out over 200 scientific experiments before returning to Earth with Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. Notably, the launch will be streamed live online on YouTube, NASA+ and the company’s official website.
In other news, Williams has officially taken over as the commander of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 72. This follows the handover of command from Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko. Williams' appointment marks her second stint as ISS commander, coming 12 years and 7 days after her previous tenure.
During the change of command ceremony, Williams expressed her gratitude to Kononenko and the rest of the Expedition 71 crew for their flexibility and adaptability. She also praised Kononenko for welcoming her, Butch Wilmore, and the incoming crew members into the ISS family.
Notably, the two astronauts have been stranded in space since June due to faulty space capsule. Boeing's Starliner has experienced several delays and setbacks in recent years. The spacecraft's first crewed mission, which took place on June 5 and carried astronauts Williams and Wilmore, was marred by technical problems. Five of Starliner's 28 thrusters malfunctioned, and several helium leaks were discovered. Although the spacecraft managed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS), NASA and Boeing deemed it unsafe for the astronauts to return aboard. As a result, the Starliner returned to Earth empty, and the astronauts were transferred to a SpaceX mission.