Sunita Williams' Return to Earth: Meet the Two NASA Astronauts That Will Bring Williams Back

Jessica Watkins and Kjell Lindgren: The Astronauts Bringing Williams Back to Earth

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Kjell Lindgren are part of the four-person crew scheduled to bring Sunita Williams back to Earth on April 27, 2023. Watkins, a geologist, and Lindgren, a physician, are both making their second spaceflights. They will be joined by NASA astronaut Josh Cassada and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev.

Watkins was born in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and earned a bachelor's degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University and a doctorate in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2017.

Lindgren was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a doctorate in medicine from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2017.

The Crew-5 Mission

The Crew-5 mission is the fifth operational flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and the fifth crewed flight to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Crew Program. The mission is scheduled to launch on April 27, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Crew-5 astronauts will spend six months on the International Space Station, conducting a variety of experiments and maintenance tasks. They will also conduct spacewalks to upgrade the station's power systems.

The Crew-5 mission is an important step in NASA's plans to return humans to the Moon and Mars. The mission will help NASA learn more about the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body and mind. It will also help NASA develop new technologies and procedures for future space missions.