NASA, SpaceX reveal new timeline to return stranded astronauts, including Mass. native Suni Williams

NEEDHAM, Mass. — NASA and SpaceX are again starting the countdown clock, aiming to launch Friday night and bring home astronauts stuck on the International Space Station.

The capsule on that rocket is set to pick up astronaut Suni Williams, who is a native of Needham, and Butch Wilmore.

These astronauts were only supposed to be in space for a week, but they have now been there for nine months.

NASA and SpaceX are hoping to launch four crew members Friday night just after 7 p.m.

They’re skipping a launch attempt Thursday because of forecasted high winds and precipitation in the flight path.

They also need to address a hydraulic system issue.

Wednesday night, those four astronauts were strapped in, ready for lift off, but the mission was delayed.

SpaceX said the flight had to be canceled because of a launch pad problem after engineers had to look at the hydraulics used to release one of the two arms clamping the rocket to its support structure.

“At this time we are standing down from today to further address hydraulic release data,” said a launch coordinator.

If the launch does happen on Friday, docking is targeted for 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

NASA and SpaceX anticipate astronauts Williams, Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov will depart the space station Wednesday.

Williams previously spoke last month to NASA about what it will feel like physically when that space flight comes to an end.

“Both of us will be a little bit sad when that feeling of space sort of leaves us after about 24 hours and we’re not a little bit motion sickness from coming back home. That inner ear balance has to get readapted and for me it takes about 24/48 hours. I’m sure it’s maybe similar for Butch as well. So that will actually be a little bit sad when that goes away just cause that means that really, physically, the space flight came to an end,” said Williams.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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