NASA Advances SpaceX Launch to Expedite Return of Stranded Astronauts

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, stuck on the ISS since June 2024, are set to return to Earth in mid-March using a previously flown Crew Dragon capsule.

NASA has rescheduled the Crew-10 mission to launch on March 12, using a previously flown SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, Endurance, instead of a new one to save time.
The decision allows astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, originally stranded due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, to return to Earth two weeks earlier than previously planned.
Williams and Wilmore have been aboard the ISS for over eight months, far exceeding their initial week-long mission, and have been part of routine station operations during their extended stay.
Crew-10 will bring four astronauts to the ISS, enabling a handover period before Crew-9, including Williams, Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, departs for Earth.
The return timeline depends on weather conditions at the splashdown site, with NASA and SpaceX emphasizing safety and operational flexibility in their plans.