NASA has accelerated the return of astronauts Jessica Wilmore and Timothy Williams from the International Space Station, bringing their mission end date to mid-March. This change reflects ongoing challenges with the SpaceX capsule originally assigned to their replacement crew.
NASA has announced a shift in its astronaut rotation plans, bringing the return of veteran astronauts Jessica Wilmore and Timothy Williams forward to mid-March. This change will cut their International Space Station (ISS) stay by at least a couple of weeks. Their original mission was anticipated to conclude late March or April after what should have been a weeklong flight demo.
However, due to significant challenges encountered during the initial capsule's journey to the ISS, NASA opted to return it empty and reassigned Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX mission. SpaceX subsequently encountered further delays with the launch of their replacements aboard a brand new capsule requiring additional preparation. This, in turn, extended Wilmore and Williams' stay on the ISS. With more work anticipated on the new capsule, NASA made the decision to send its next crew up on an older capsule, aiming for a launch date of March 12. This older capsule was originally slated for a private crew mission arranged by Houston-based Axiom Space, featuring astronauts from Poland, Hungary, and India. The private flight has been postponed and is expected to launch later this spring. NASA prioritizes having a new crew arrive before the current one departs, ensuring a continuous presence on the ISS. The current crew, consisting of Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts, has been on the ISS since September. The upcoming crew comprises two NASA astronauts, alongside one from Japan and one from Russia.This latest change in plans comes just two weeks after NASA stated its commitment to bringing Wilmore and Williams back to Earth as quickly as possible. The day before, President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had pledged to expedite the astronauts' return.The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content
NASA International Space Station Astronauts Spacex Launch Delay
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA's stuck astronaut steps out on spacewalk after 7 months in orbitSuni Williams, one of NASA's two stuck astronauts, stepped out on her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station seven months ago.
Read more »
NASA's stuck astronaut steps out on a spacewalk after 7 months in orbitSuni Williams stepped out on a spacewalk Thursday, her first since arriving at the International Space Station seven months ago.
Read more »
NASA's stuck astronaut steps out on a spacewalk after 7 months in orbitOne of NASA's two stuck astronauts is getting a change of scenery. Suni Williams stepped out on a spacewalk Thursday, her first since arriving at the International Space Station seven months ago. She's tackling outdoor repair work alongside NASA's Nick Hague. Plans call for Williams to float back out next week with Butch Wilmore.
Read more »
NASA Astronaut Tests Microorganism Collection Methods for External ISS SurfacesNASA astronaut Victor Glover is investigating the presence and dispersal of microorganisms outside the International Space Station (ISS) to understand potential contamination risks and the survival of microbes in space.
Read more »
NASA astronaut Suni Williams sets new record on 5.5-hour spacewalk outside ISS (video)Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, a daily news publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.
Read more »
Stranded NASA astronaut says she struggles to remember how it feels to walk, lay downToday's Video Headlines: 1/31/25
Read more »