NASA is expediting the launch of its Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by utilizing the flight-proven SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance capsule. The launch is now targeted for March 12, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
This decision circumvents delays associated with the completion of a new Crew Dragon spacecraft. Endurance, previously used for the Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 missions, requires less preparation time, accelerating the mission timeline.
The arrival of Crew-10 will facilitate the return of Crew-9 astronauts Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, along with NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. Williams and Wilmore's extended stay on the ISS resulted from complications during Boeing's Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT), requiring their return via the Crew-9 Dragon capsule.
The situation garnered political attention, with claims of the astronauts being "abandoned" in space. However, NASA affirmed its commitment to their safe return. The shift to Endurance aims to resolve the situation promptly.
Following a handover period, Crew-9 is scheduled to depart the ISS around March 19-20, splashing down off the coast of Florida. The capsule switch impacts the Ax-4 mission, which will now utilize the new Crew Dragon originally slated for Crew-10. The Ax-4 mission is scheduled to launch as soon as April.