The two stranded NASA astronauts are set to return from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier than planned, following a crucial decision by NASA and SpaceX to expedite their journey back. Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, originally scheduled to return in late March or April, will now head home in mid-March aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, Endeavor.
Williams and Wilmore have spent over eight months on the ISS due to delays with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which experienced technical issues, including a helium leak. The change in their return schedule stems from NASA’s decision to deploy Endeavor, a previously flown SpaceX capsule, for the upcoming Crew-10 mission.
This move resolves delays in the production of a new Crew Dragon capsule, which had initially pushed the Crew-10 launch to March 25. The launch has now been rescheduled for March 12, 2025.
The Crew-10 mission will bring a four-member team to the ISS: NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Once this team arrives, Williams and Wilmore, along with colleagues Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, will make their return to Earth after a brief handover period.
NASA confirmed in a statement, “Teams will work to complete Dragon’s refurbishment and ready the spacecraft for flight, which includes trunk stack, propellant load, and transportation to SpaceX’s hangar at 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to be mated with the mission’s Falcon 9 rocket.”
The Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance, has been refurbished to ensure readiness for its role in the Crew-10 mission. This decision not only shortens the prolonged stay of the astronauts but ensures the ISS remains fully staffed after the transition.
Williams and Wilmore initially traveled to the ISS aboard Boeing's Starliner in June 2024. During their extended stay, Sunita Williams took charge of operations on the ISS, keeping critical projects on track.