Thu Feb 13 05:26:56 UTC 2025: ## NASA Swaps Capsules, Brings Starliner Astronauts Home Early

**Washington, D.C. –** NASA announced Tuesday a schedule change for its upcoming Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), resulting in an earlier-than-expected return for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The agency will utilize a previously flown SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavor, instead of a new one, pushing the Crew-10 launch date forward from March 25th to March 12th.

Wilmore and Williams, who launched to the ISS last summer aboard Boeing’s faulty Starliner capsule, have remained on the station far longer than anticipated. Their return has been contingent upon the arrival of the Crew-10 crew to maintain the station’s American contingent.

This decision follows President Donald Trump’s intervention last month, urging SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite the astronauts’ return. While NASA stated its intention to bring them home “as soon as practical,” the agency refrained from explicitly linking the capsule swap to Trump’s request. The President’s involvement marked an unusual intervention in NASA’s meticulously planned ISS schedule, sparking controversy as he blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the situation, despite Biden’s lack of involvement. Musk, while publicly complying with Trump’s demand, also placed blame on Biden.

The capsule swap has ramifications for other missions. SpaceX’s planned Fram2 private astronaut mission, originally slated to use the Endeavor capsule, will now utilize a different Crew Dragon. The change may also affect Axiom Space’s upcoming mission carrying government astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program head, Steve Stich, acknowledged the unexpected challenges inherent in human spaceflight and commended SpaceX’s flexibility in accommodating the schedule change.

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