NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return Early from ISS

NASA has announced that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may return to Earth earlier than initially planned, with a new target of mid-March instead of late March or April. This adjustment is due to SpaceX's decision to switch capsules for upcoming flights, which will reduce the astronauts' extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS) after they surpassed their original one-week mission. Their mission was originally intended to test Boeing's Starliner capsule, but technical issues led to an indefinite extension of their stay. To expedite the process, NASA has opted to use an older capsule, with the Crew-10 mission now scheduled for March 12. This mission will include two NASA astronauts, one from Japan, and one from Russia, and will allow Crew-9 to return home sooner. NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager highlighted the unpredictability of human spaceflight as a significant factor in these changes.