CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has announced that two astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) may return to Earth earlier than originally scheduled. Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have already surpassed eight months in space, are now expected to come back in mid-March instead of late March or April.

This change comes after NASA confirmed that SpaceX will transition to a different capsule for the upcoming astronaut missions. This adjustment will allow for a quicker return for Williams and Wilmore, significantly reducing their extended stay at the ISS by at least a couple of weeks.

Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, acknowledged the inherent challenges of human spaceflight in a recent statement: “Human spaceflight is full of unexpected challenges.”

Initially, the test pilots were set to return in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, following what was intended to be a week-long flight demonstration. However, complications hindered the Starliner’s journey to the ISS, leading NASA to bring it back empty and assign Williams and Wilmore to a SpaceX mission instead.

Subsequently, SpaceX faced delays with the launch of their replacements due to additional preparations required for the new capsule, further extending the astronauts’ assignment in orbit.

Given that more work is anticipated for the new capsule, NASA has opted for the next crew to use an older capsule, with a lift-off now slated for March 12. This older spacecraft was initially designated for a private mission featuring astronauts from Poland, Hungary, and India, which has now been rescheduled for later this spring.

NASA typically prefers to have the new crew arrive at the ISS before sending the current team back, which includes Wilmore and Williams along with two others who have been in space since September. The incoming crew consists of two NASA astronauts, alongside one astronaut from Japan and one from Russia.

This recent adjustment by NASA follows an announcement made two weeks ago, indicating that the agency was expediting efforts to return Wilmore and Williams as promptly as possible. In response to the situation, President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had pledged to enhance the timeline for the astronauts’ return.

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