NASA has announced that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, are now scheduled to return to Earth earlier than previously planned. Initially set to return in late March or April 2025, their mission has been adjusted to facilitate a mid-March return.
The delay in their return was primarily due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which was initially intended to bring them back. These complications extended their mission beyond the original timeline. To expedite their return, NASA has coordinated with SpaceX to adjust its capsule schedule, allowing for an earlier departure from the ISS.
The revised plan involves launching the Crew-10 mission on March 12, 2025, pending mission readiness and completion of the agency’s certification of flight readiness process. This schedule adjustment aims to ensure that Williams and Wilmore can return to Earth promptly after the arrival and handover with the new crew.
