NASA plans early return of stranded astronauts

WASHINGTON — NASA, on Tuesday swapped out the astronaut capsule it plans to use for an upcoming routine flight to the International Space Station, a scheduling move that will allow a slightly earlier return for two Starliner astronauts who have been on the station far longer than expected.

The US space agency said mission management teams opted to use a previously flown SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for its Crew-10 mission to the space station instead of a new SpaceX capsule whose production, it said, has been delayed.

The decision moves up the Crew-10 launch to March 12, from the previous target of March 25. NASA said it would still need to conduct a flight readiness assessment of the previously flown Crew Dragon capsule, which is named Endeavor and has been used on three previous missions.

The return of two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who flew to the International Space Station on Boeing's faulty Starliner capsule last summer, has hinged on the arrival of Crew-10s four-person crew to keep the station's American contingent staffed at normal levels.

The decision follows US President Donald Trump's abrupt demand to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk last month to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth "as soon as possible", pleading for an end to their mission that, in large part had already been decided on last year.

After Trump's demand, NASA affirmed its plan to bring home the astronauts, saying it would do so "as soon as practical". In its statement on Tuesday, the agency did not say its decision to change the Crew-10 capsule was made to bring the Starliner crew home early.

"Human spaceflight is full of unexpected challenges," NASA's Commercial Crew Program head Steve Stich said in a statement, praising SpaceX for its flexibility.

The spacecraft swap affects SpaceX's planned Fram2 private astronaut mission, which was expected to use the Endeavor capsule sometime this year for a polar-orbiting mission.

Agencies via Xinhua