NASA readies mission to rescue Boeing Starliner astronauts stranded on ISS

NASA is preparing to bring its two stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) using a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The Crew-9 mission has been reduced to accommodate Wilmore and Williams on the return trip, with American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov manning the capsule. The stranded astronauts had been marooned on the ISS since their Boeing Starliner capsule experienced technical issues, preventing their return in September. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is not expected to return to Earth until February 2025, but Wilmore and Williams are helping with maintenance and experiments aboard the ISS in the meantime. Once Hague and Gorbunov arrive aboard the ISS, they will become part of the Expedition 72 crew and conduct research for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The crew exchange will also involve SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts departing after several days of handover. The decision to reduce the Crew-9 mission was made based on spaceflight experience and other factors, with NASA stating that the bumped astronauts could fly on future missions. Hague emphasized the unique challenge of integrating the stranded astronauts into Dragon operations, but expressed excitement about the opportunity to fly in two different spacecraft.

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