Needham native Sunita Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore have spent nine months in space after originally being scheduled for an eight-day mission. The flight that will finally take them home launched Friday.
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The mission to rescue two astronauts, including Needham native Sunita Williams, is now underway.
After being postponed, NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 had a successful launch Friday night.
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People in Needham are crossing their fingers that everything runs smoothly. Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore spent nine months in space after launching for what was scheduled as an eight-day mission.
Friday night's mission was a go as four astronauts onboard a rocket that blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. They're expected to arrive at the International Space Station sometime Saturday. There will be a change of hands so Williams and Wilmore can finally hitch a ride home.
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The pair has been at the ISS since June after riding up in the Boeing Starliner during a test flight. But a problem with the spacecraft forced them to remain there.
Four astronauts will make the trip back home. The two others have been at the ISS for about six months.