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NASA and SpaceX will bring back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS) in February 2025.
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The rescue mission, SpaceX Crew-9, will launch no earlier than September 25 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
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Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth along with Crew-9 astronauts after an extended 8-month stay on the ISS.
NASA has announced plans to rescue astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS) in February 2025. The rescue mission, SpaceX Crew-9, will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. Initially scheduled to return on Boeing’s Starliner, Williams and Wilmore’s stay on the ISS has been extended due to safety concerns.
The Crew-9 mission will be commanded by Nick Hague, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov as mission specialist. The crew will spend five months on the ISS conducting spacewalks, research, and experiments. Before launch, Hague and Gorbunov will undergo quarantine at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to prevent any illnesses.
Sunita Williams expressed excitement about returning to Earth on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Despite her initial 8-day mission being extended to 8 months, Williams considers space her “happy place.” She and Wilmore have familiarized themselves with the Dragon spacecraft and are receiving training on the Crew-9 vehicle.
The SpaceX Crew-9 mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than September 25, with additional launch opportunities on September 26, 27, and 28. Liftoff will occur at 11:58 p.m. IST from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
