NASA has made an exciting update! They changed their plans for the Crew-10 mission and will now use a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that has flown before. This decision helps astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore come back to Earth sooner than they expected.
Originally, the Crew-10 mission was supposed to launch on March 25, but now it’s set for March 12. NASA said this change is subject to making sure everything is ready for the flight.
Crew-9 will return after helping Crew-10 get settled in. Sunita and Butch traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Boeing Starliner capsule in June 2024, but had some problems along the way. Since then, Sunita has been in charge at the space station.
The Crew-10 team includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Their arrival is important to ensure the ISS team is at full strength.
Recently, President Trump asked SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk to bring Sunita and Butch home as soon as possible, which got NASA to fast-track their plans to return them. NASA confirmed they will bring the astronauts back when it is practical to do so.
Steve Stich, who manages NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, noted that space travel can be unpredictable. He praised the teamwork between NASA and SpaceX, which helps them adapt quickly to changing needs.
After Crew-9 completes its mission, it will help with ongoing science and maintenance at the ISS before everyone gets ready to return to Earth, keeping an eye on the weather for a safe landing in Florida.
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