BOSTON (WHDH) - At last, the long awaited liftoff to bring Needham native Suni Williams home, after more than nine months in orbit.
Friday’s successful launch of a SpaceX rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center paves the way for Suni and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore to return to Earth.
The pair was stranded in space last June after the Boeing Starliner test flight they flew to the International Space Station suffered a series of helium leaks and propulsion issues.
Their week-long mission was extended indefinitely when NASA declared the spacecraft unsafe, and brought it back to Earth unmanned.
Their rescue crew is now barreling toward the International Space Station at more than 21,000 miles per hour.
The four astronauts on board are apart of a routine staff rotation.
Once they arrive and get situated, Suni and Butch can return to Earth on a spacecraft that’s been docked at the ISS.
When 7NEWS spoke with Suni from space earlier this week, she expressed how thankful she’s been for the overwhelming support from around the world, and how she can’t wait to finally be home.
“I’ll be visiting a lot of places in Boston, eating a lot of good food, and seeing a lot of good old friends,” Suni said.
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