Astronaut Sunita Williams To Return Sooner As NASA Speeds Up Crew-10 Launch Date; Details Here

NASA has announced an earlier launch date for its Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), now targeting March 12 instead of the previously planned March 25. The change ensures a smooth crew swap and an earlier return for Crew-9 astronauts including Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore – who have been on the ISS aboard Boeing’s troubled Starliner since June 2024.

The Space Agency also confirmed that the Crew-10 mission will now use a previously flown SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance, instead of a new spacecraft that required additional processing time.

NASA and SpaceX decided to switch to a previously flown Dragon capsule to avoid delays associated with preparing a new spacecraft. The Endurance capsule has already completed three missions – Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 – successfully. NASA and SpaceX are currently assessing the spacecraft’s previously flown hardware to ensure it meets safety and certification standards.

According to Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the flexibility in mission planning is made possible by the strong partnership between NASA and SpaceX. 

"Human spaceflight is full of unexpected challenges. Our operational flexibility is enabled by the tremendous partnership between NASA and SpaceX and the agility SpaceX continues to demonstrate to safely meet the agency’s emerging needs," Mr Stich said in a statement.

The Crew-10 mission will carry four astronauts to the ISS:

• Anne McClain (NASA) - Commander

• Nichole Ayers (NASA) - Pilot

• Takuya Onishi (JAXA) - Mission Specialist

• Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos) - Mission Specialist

Once Crew-10 arrives, Crew-9 astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will begin their transition process before returning to Earth. Their splashdown off the Florida coast will depend on weather conditions. 

Crew-9’s splashdown off the Florida coast is expected shortly after Crew-10 completes its handover period, pending weather conditions.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore initially launched to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. Their mission has since faced multiple technical challenges, including a helium leak. The decision to accelerate Crew-10’s arrival ensures that station staffing remains stable and allows NASA to focus on addressing the Starliner issues before attempting the astronauts' return.

In an interview with CBS News last week, Sunita Williams talked about their extended stay. "We're in a posture where we have the International Space Station fully manned and doing what the taxpayers wanted, to do world-class science,” the NASA astronaut said. “And so I feel honoured to be here and a part of the team."