SpaceX to Switch Capsules to Bring 2 Stranded Astronauts Back to Earth Sooner

NASA astronauts Suni Williams (L) and Butch Wilmore during a press conference from the International Space Station on Sept. 13, 2024. NASA via AP

NASA said Tuesday they have revised their strategy in order to expedite the homecoming of two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), the space agency said on Feb. 11.

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the space station for eight months, are now slated to return to Earth in mid-March—two weeks earlier than the previously anticipated late March or April timeframe, according to NASA.

The change in plans involves SpaceX altering its capsule assignments for upcoming missions.

“Human spaceflight is full of unexpected challenges,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said in a statement released by the agency.

The extended stay of Williams and Wilmore stems from a series of setbacks that began in June 2024. Initially, the pair was scheduled to return after a brief June 5 test flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, the Starliner experienced major issues during the flight, including helium leaks and problems with its reaction control thrusters, as it approached the ISS.

The issues led to NASA’s decision to return the Starliner to Earth without crew members, leaving Williams and Wilmore safe but stranded on the ISS.

“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated at the time.

The situation was further complicated when SpaceX and NASA said they would delay the launch of the replacement astronaut crew to late March 2025 due to necessary preparations for flight of a new capsule, which would have extended Williams and Wilmore’s mission even further without the revisions now in place.

With additional work still needed on the new capsule, NASA has now opted for an older SpaceX capsule for the next crew launch, to bring Williams and Wilmore home earlier, weather permitting on March 12. This capsule had previously been assigned to a private mission organized by Axiom Space, featuring astronauts from Poland, Hungary, and India. As a result of NASA’s decision, the Axiom mission has been postponed to a later date, potentially still within the spring season.

Returning with Williams and Wilmore are NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who were selected to join the pair on the ISS in September 2024, where they have been preparing for their return mission together.

The replacement crew to take over duties at the ISS after a week-long handover period will include two NASA astronauts, as well as one astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and one Roscosmos cosmonaut.

This latest adjustment comes just two weeks after NASA announced it was working “expeditiously” to bring Williams and Wilmore back as soon as possible. The announcement followed a request by President Donald Trump for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to speed up the astronauts’ return.

From NTD News