What we know about the delayed SpaceX flight meant to bring stuck astronauts home

It will be even longer before Needham, Massachusetts, native Sunita Williams returns home from space.

NASA is now targeting Friday evening as the earliest it would launch the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket carrying four crew members meant to replace Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Williams. It scrubbed a liftoff scheduled for Wednesday night due to a hydraulic system issue on the launch pad.

WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

Williams and Wilmore have spent nine months in space, first arriving in June. Williams' original mission was meant to last eight days, and those in Needham are eager to have her home.

"We’re all rooting for her, as we have been the entire duration of this ordeal," said State Sen. Rebecca Rausch.

"She's not some kinda ethereal figure she’s a real human that people in this town knew when she was growing up that the kids who live here now also see as role model," she added.

NASA says the spacecraft meant to take them home would dock at the International Space Station around 11:30 p.m. Saturday night. The capsule would then depart the ISS no later than Wednesday, splashing down somewhere off the coast of Florida.

More on SpaceX and Sunita Williams

NASA 18 hours ago

SpaceX delays flight to replace NASA's stuck astronauts after launch pad problem

NASA Feb 12

NASA's 2 stuck astronauts may return to Earth sooner under new plan

NASA Mar 11

NASA's space telescope SPHEREx blasts off to map entire sky and millions of galaxies