This week, NASA is gearing up for a crucial rescue mission to retrieve stranded astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS). On Thursday (Sept. 26), NASA astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia's space agency Roscosmos will depart for the ISS on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission. The initial crew members, Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, were reassigned to make room for two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who are currently stuck on the station following a failed Starliner mission.

The predicament unfolded after Wilmore and Williams encountered issues aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which cut short their anticipated 10-day mission in space. Following extensive diagnostics and assessments, NASA determined it was safer to bring the Starliner back uncrewed and offer the astronauts an alternative ride home. As a result, the duo will now return to Earth alongside Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025 after an extended stay of approximately eight months aboard the ISS.

This turn of events echoes past instances of astronauts being stranded in orbit due to spacecraft malfunctions. Notably, astronaut Frank Rubio spent 371 continuous days on the ISS after encountering a violent coolant leak on his return spacecraft. NASA's stringent emphasis on safety protocols and risk management ensures that crew members are not unduly endangered, drawing on lessons from prior space mission tragedies. The upcoming Crew-9 mission serves as a testament to NASA's commitment to prioritizing astronaut well-being and ensuring successful exploratory missions beyond Earth.