NASA has decided to switch the astronaut capsule for its next mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This change will allow two astronauts, who have been in space much longer than planned, to return to Earth a little earlier.

Why NASA changed the capsule

NASA originally wanted to use a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for the Crew-10 mission. But the new capsule is not ready yet because its production has been delayed. So instead, NASA will use an older capsule called Endeavour, which has already been used in three space missions.

Because of this change, the launch date has been moved earlier from March 25 to March 12. Before launching, NASA will check to make sure Endeavour is safe and ready for the mission.

The Crew-10 mission is very important because it will bring four new astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). This is necessary to keep enough American astronauts on the station. Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, have been stuck on the ISS for longer than expected because of problems with their spaceship. They can only return to Earth after the Crew-10 team arrives to replace them.

The Starliner capsule problem

Wilmore and Williams travelled to the ISS last summer using Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, the Starliner had technical problems, and their return has been delayed. NASA had already planned to bring them back as soon as possible, but their return depends on the arrival of Crew-10’s crew.

Last month, former U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to bring the astronauts back to Earth “as soon as possible.” He blamed President Joe Biden for their situation, even though Biden had no role in the problem. Musk also blamed Biden, despite the fact that NASA and SpaceX have been working together to solve the issue, which many experts say was caused by Boeing.

NASA did not say that Trump's request influenced its decision, but the change in capsules will help bring Wilmore and Williams home earlier.

How this affects other space missions

This change will also affect other space missions that SpaceX had planned. The Endeavour capsule was supposed to be used for a private astronaut mission called Fram2. However, since NASA needs it for Crew-10, Fram2 will have to use a different capsule.

Chun Wang, the leader of the Fram2 mission and a crypto businessman from Malta, was unhappy about this change. He posted on social media, saying, “We’ve lost the South Pole in the daylight,” along with a sad face emoji.

Another mission that will be affected is a spaceflight organised by Axiom, a private company. This mission was supposed to carry astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to space. Axiom has not yet said how this change will affect their plans.

NASA’s response

Steve Stich, the head of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said that space missions often face unexpected problems. He appreciated SpaceX for being flexible and helping NASA adjust to these changes. In his statement, he said, “Human spaceflight is full of unexpected challenges.”

Even with all these changes, NASA is focused on safely bringing astronauts Wilmore and Williams back to Earth. The agency also plans to continue its space missions as scheduled.

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