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Until recently, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were assigned to SpaceX's Crew-9 mission. However, their seats had to be reassigned in August to bring home two other NASA astronauts currently living on the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Crew-9 crew, including Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Zena Cardman, and Stephanie Wilson, is shown in an image credit to SpaceX.

Cardman and Wilson expressed their gratitude for not being part of the Crew-9 mission. Cardman said, "It makes me feel very connected to this mission," while Wilson emphasized that astronauts are always working for the same team no matter if they are in space or on the ground. She added, "We, of course, want to be together, we have built friendship and camaraderie... but I'm very excited for them [Hague and Gorbunov], looking forward to hearing their stories from space."

The article also highlights that two mass simulators were used in Cardman's and Wilson's former seats. When Crew-9 wraps up in February 2025, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will occupy those spots. Williams and Wilson were left without their expected ride home after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth autonomously on September 7.

Cardman praised NASA for prioritizing the safety of the crew, even though Starliner's uncrewed return to Earth was deemed safe enough to have brought home the NASA pair. She also expressed her confidence in Williams' and Wilmore's ability to handle their unexpected ISS extension, stating that they are professionals who are well prepared.

How NASA’s bumped SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts felt watching their rocket launch without them

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