Williams and Wilmore: Return Aboard Musk's Dragon in February
The Dragon's Return Voyage
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Kjell Lindgren will return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft in February, marking the end of their six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The Dragon is scheduled to undock from the ISS on February 28th and splash down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Williams and Lindgren will be joined by European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer, who has been on the ISS since November 2021.
Dragon's Previous Missions
The Dragon spacecraft has a proven track record of success, having completed 25 previous missions to the ISS. It is the only spacecraft currently capable of returning large amounts of cargo and experiments back to Earth.
In addition to its cargo capabilities, the Dragon can also carry up to seven astronauts. This makes it an important part of NASA's plans to return humans to the Moon and eventually Mars.
The Future of the Dragon
SpaceX is currently developing a new version of the Dragon called the Dragon XL. The Dragon XL will be larger and more powerful than the current Dragon, and it will be capable of carrying up to eight astronauts.
The Dragon XL is expected to make its first flight in 2024. It will play a major role in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2025.
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