NASA-SpaceX capsule switch poised to bring Starliner astronauts home days sooner
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 U.S. 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 do 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 the Crew-10's four-person crew in order to keep the station's American contingent staffed at normal levels.
The decision follows 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.
Artificial Intelligence(AI)
Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI
By — Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer
Artificial Intelligence(AI)
Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling
