“We have been working with SpaceX to ensure they are ready to respond with Crew-9 as a contingency,” Stich added.
“We wanted to make sure we had all the options we needed even if we have not publicly committed to this road.
Our first choice is to bring Suni and Butch back aboard Starliner. Still, we have done the necessary preparation to
ensure we have alternative choices available. “Butch and Suni seem prepared to accomplish whatever is required of them.”
Ex-NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent nearly a year on the ISS between 2015 and 2016, believes the couple are doing just great up there.
“We were all Navy test pilots and I knew them before they were astronauts,” he said to PEOPLE. “Students will be able to manage it.”
