NASA removed two astronauts from its Crew-9 mission to allow for Williams and Wilmore to join the cohort, and return onboard the SpaceX Dragon − which carries four people at a time. The altered Crew-9 − only Hague and Gorbunov − launched aboard the SpaceX Dragon Freedom in late September.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams set out for a weeklong mission at the International Space Station last year. After nine months, they are coming home.