MAINE, USA — NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy is returning to International Space Station for the third time. His crew is expected to dock at the ISS around 10 a.m. Thursday morning.
He will briefly be seeing Maine native Dr. Jessica Meir. Cassidy's crew will be relieving Meir's team.
When astronauts Meir, Morgan and Skripochka leave the orbital outpost from Expedition 62, Cassidy will become commander of Expedition 63.
He and his crewmates are expected to remain aboard the station until October 2020.
Meir was born and raised in Caribou. She graduated from Caribou High School in 1995.
Cassidy was born in Salem, MA, but moved to Maine when he was young. He considers York, Maine to be his hometown. He attended York High School before attending the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island. He graduated in 1989.
Cassidy spent 11 years as a member of the U.S. Navy SEAL Team. He made four six‐month deployments: two to Afghanistan, and two to the Mediterranean.