Two US astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June, may return to Earth earlier than expected in March. The crew’s Boeing Starliner spacecraft experienced propulsion problems, leading NASA to send them home without their original plan.
Initially, SpaceX was tasked with bringing the astronauts back at the end of January. However, a mission called Crew-10, which was set to relieve them in late March, has now been rescheduled for March 12.
The change is due to adjustments made to the original plan and the use of a previously flown Dragon spacecraft, called Endurance. The astronauts will return to Earth after completing a handover period with the new crew.
Wilmore and Williams initially stated that their spirits remained high despite the extended stay, mentioning they had plenty of food and were enjoying their time on the ISS. Their prolonged stay has yet to surpass Frank Rubio’s record-breaking 371 days aboard the ISS in 2023.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-announces-return-date-for-astronauts-trapped-on-iss