Sunita Williams to return to Earth earlier than scheduled

On Tuesday, NASA announced it replaced the astronaut capsule originally planned for the Crew-10 mission with a previously used SpaceX Crew Dragon. This scheduling change will enable Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to return to Earth earlier than anticipated. The US space agency revealed that it is moving up the target launch and return dates for the upcoming crew rotation missions to and from the International Space Station.

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NASA Reschedules Crew-10 Launch to March 12 for Early Return of Astronauts

NASA rescheduled the launch, originally set for March 25, to March 12, Wednesday. However, NASA stated this is “pending mission readiness and the completion of the agency’s flight readiness certification process.” According to the space agency, the Crew-9 mission will return following a handover procedure with the newly arrived Crew-10 team.

NASA stated that mission management teams chose to use a previously flown SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule instead of a new one, as production of the new capsule has reportedly been delayed. The capsule, named ‘Endurance,’ will undergo refurbishment. NASA’s statement noted, “Teams will complete the Dragon’s refurbishment and prepare the spacecraft for flight, including stacking the trunk, loading propellant, and transporting it to SpaceX’s hangar at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to mate it with the Falcon 9 rocket for the mission.”

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore traveled to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June 2024. Since then, the spacecraft encountered several issues, including a helium leak. During their time on the station, Sunita has taken on the role of commanding the ISS. The astronauts’ return depends on the arrival of the four-member Crew-10 expedition, which will ensure the station remains adequately staffed.

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