BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The next astronauts heading to the International Space Station are preparing for launch at Florida’s Space Coast.
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The members of SpaceX Crew-9 arrived at Kennedy Space Center over the weekend.
They are set to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket later this week, and return from the International Space Station early next year.
Watch: SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew completes first-ever private spacewalk
Crew-9 was reduced from four astronauts to two so that the capsule could be used to bring back the Boeing Starliner crew.
Astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams have been at the ISS since June, months longer than once planned.
Read: Boeing’s Starliner capsule leaves space station, heads home without any astronauts
The decision was made to return the Starliner without its crew because of technical issues with the spacecraft.
“So we have been in touch with, with Butch and Suni. They are excited for us to get there. And they have made special requests,” said Crew-9 astronaut Nick Hague.
Read: SpaceX to launch NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft to study Jupiter moon
Crew-9 is set to launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:05 p.m. on Thursday.
Channel 9 will continue to monitor the planned launch and provide updates on Eyewitness News.
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