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MA Native, Second Astronaut Will Hitch Return Ride On SpaceX Capsule Amid Starliner Trouble MA Native, Second Astronaut Will Hitch Return Ride On SpaceX Capsule Amid Starliner Trouble
MA Native, Second Astronaut Will Hitch Return Ride On SpaceX Capsule Amid Starliner Trouble After spending months in limbo aboard the International Space Station, an astronaut from Massachusetts finally has a return date to Earth. Pilot Suni Williams, from the town of Needham in Norfolk County, and commander Butch Wilmore will abandon Boeing’s troubled Starliner and instead hitch a ride on a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February 2025, NASA confirmed Saturday, Aug. 24. The stunning decision capped off 11 weeks of uncertainty after NASA discovered numerous helium leaks and malfunctions with Starliner’s thrusters following its launch from Florida's Space Coast on Wednesday, June 5. Ea…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Mass Astronaut May Be Stuck In Space Until 2025 As NASA Mulls 'Other Options' For Starliner Mass Astronaut May Be Stuck In Space Until 2025 As NASA Mulls 'Other Options' For Starliner
Mass Astronaut May Be Stuck In Space Until 2025 As NASA Mulls 'Other Options' For Starliner What was supposed to be an eight-day trip to the International Space Station may end up lasting much, much longer for an astronaut from Massachusetts. Two months after the Boeing-built Starliner blasted off from Florida’s Space Coast on its first crewed flight, NASA announced that pilot Suni Williams, from the town of Needham in Norfolk County, and commander Butch Wilmore may not come home until February 2025. In a mission update Wednesday, Aug. 7, NASA and Boeing leaders said they were still figuring out how to safely bring the pair back to Earth and that they may have to ride back on a Sp…

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by Michael Mashburn
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NASA 'Not Quite Ready' To Bring New England Native, 2nd Astronaut Home Amid Starliner Troubles NASA 'Not Quite Ready' To Bring New England Native, 2nd Astronaut Home Amid Starliner Troubles
NASA 'Not Quite Ready' To Bring New England Native, 2nd Astronaut Home Amid Starliner Troubles Nearly two months after blasting off from Florida’s Space Coast, a pair of NASA astronauts – including a Massachusetts native – still have no idea when they’ll return to Earth. In a mission update Thursday, July 25, NASA and Boeing leaders still could not commit to a return date for Starliner pilot Suni Williams, from the town of Needham in Norfolk County, and commander Butch Wilmore. The pair – serving as guinea pigs of sorts for Starliner’s first crewed mission – remain in limbo aboard the International Space Station after numerous helium leaks and malfunctions with the spacecraft’s thrus…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Stuck In Space: Mass Astronaut Faces Uncertain Return Date Amid Starliner Troubles Stuck In Space: Mass Astronaut Faces Uncertain Return Date Amid Starliner Troubles
Stuck In Space: Mass Astronaut Faces Uncertain Return Date Amid Starliner Troubles A Massachusetts native is among two American astronauts facing an uncertain return date to Earth amid ongoing problems with the Boeing-built Starliner spacecraft. Pilot and Needham native Suni Williams, along with commander Butch Wilmore, remains stuck on the International Space Station nearly a week after their expected departure date while NASA crews work to understand several issues that have arisen since the pair launched into orbit on Wednesday, June 5. Among the problems sparking concern are malfunctions of the vehicle’s thrusters and numerous helium leaks that sprang up during their…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Trailblazing Astronaut From Mass Will Be First Woman Aboard A Maiden Crewed Spacecraft Trailblazing Astronaut From Mass Will Be First Woman Aboard A Maiden Crewed Spacecraft
Trailblazing Astronaut From Mass Will Be First Woman Aboard A Maiden Crewed Spacecraft Sunita Williams has held plenty of titles in her life: Astronaut, US Navy officer, former record holder for most spacewalks by a woman (seven), to name a few. Now, the Needham native can add one more to her impressive resume: trailblazer. The 58-year-old Williams is set to become the first woman aboard the maiden flight of a manned spacecraft when NASA and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner launches for the first time from Florida’s Cape Canaveral for the 24-hour journey to the International Space Station. Originally scheduled for takeoff Monday night, May 6, the launch was scrapped “out of an abu…

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by Michael Mashburn