NASA to bring Boeing astronauts home earlier than planned
What's the story
NASA has announced plans to speed up the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for a long time.
The two astronauts were part of Boeing Starliner's maiden crewed test flight launched in June last year.
Their stay on the ISS has been longer than expected due to technical issues with the spacecraft, such as helium leaks and propulsion problems.
Mission rescheduling
Schedule adjustment for Crew-10 mission
The decision to bring Wilmore and Williams home sooner than previously announced comes as NASA has changed its plans for its upcoming Crew-10 mission.
The space agency has opted to use a different SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for the mission, which is now scheduled to launch as early as March 12, "pending mission readiness."
This change could bring the two astronauts' return forward by several days.
Mission details
Crew-10's arrival to facilitate astronauts' return
The Crew-10 astronauts' arrival at the ISS is a prerequisite for Wilmore and Williams's return to Earth.
They are currently part of the Crew-9 mission and their rotation on the orbiting laboratory can only be completed after the new crew arrives.
Their mission's spacecraft, Crew Dragon Freedom, is already docked at the space station and will "return to Earth following a several day handover period with the newly arrived Crew-10 expedition crew," NASA said.
Return strategy
NASA's plan to use SpaceX vehicle for return
Contrary to claims by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump, NASA had already planned to use a SpaceX vehicle for the return of Wilmore and Williams.
The strategy was announced in August, months before either Musk or Trump publicly discussed the mission.
The initial plan was to use a new Crew Dragon capsule for the Crew-10 mission in February, but additional "time to complete processing" on the capsule pushed this date back.
Capsule change
NASA to use previously flown Crew Dragon Endurance
In a recent update, NASA revealed that it will now be using the Crew Dragon Endurance for the upcoming mission.
This particular capsule has already been on three missions, including the Crew-7 mission which returned to Earth in March 2024 after a seven-month stay at the ISS.
The change in capsule usage is part of NASA's strategy to ensure the timely return of Wilmore and Williams.