SpaceX flew astronauts for the first time in 2020, and Boeing reached the same milestone with the test flight that launched in June. Ultimately, the Starliner spacecraft safely returned to Earth on September 6 with a successful landing in New Mexico.

NASA says it is preparing to bring its two stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which is now scheduled to bring the pair home, is set to launch on Thursday.

To free up two seats for the Starliner crew, NASA bumped Cardman and Wilson from the Crew 9 roster. In the meantime, four days after the Starliner’s unpiloted return to Earth on Sept. 7, the Russians launched Ovchinin, Vagner and Pettit to replace Kononenko, Chub and Dyson.