Astronaut and Massachusetts native Sunita L. Williams is another step closer to returning to Earth. Williams, a native of Needham, and Butch Wilmore of Tennessee have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) since last June due to problems with their spacecraft, the Boeing's Starliner.

Sunita Williams, who was supposed to return in a week when she went on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to ISS last year, hit the 9-month mark this month.