Countdown to Rescue: SpaceX to Bring Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Home Early

Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will return to Earth sooner than expected as NASA restructures flights. SpaceX will switch capsules for earlier retrieval due to delays with the original Boeing Starliner mission. Axiom Space's private mission faces postponement as NASA prioritizes crew transfers.

NASA announced a change in plans to bring two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, back to Earth earlier than initially scheduled. The decision involves using a different SpaceX capsule to return them by mid-March instead of late March or April, shortening their extended stay at the International Space Station.

The astronauts were initially set to return on Boeing's Starliner, but complications with the capsule forced NASA to adjust plans, opting for a SpaceX vehicle instead. Delays with preparing a new capsule for their replacements added further time to Wilmore and Williams' mission, prompting the switch to an older SpaceX capsule, already assigned to another mission.

This adjustment impacts a private mission by Axiom Space, featuring astronauts from Poland, Hungary, and India, delaying their launch. NASA maintains its policy of sending a new crew to the station before the current team returns, ensuring seamless transition and continuity in operations.

(With inputs from agencies.)