WASHINGTON (Reuters) -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.
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.
(Reporting by Joey Roulette in Washington; Editing by Nia Williams)
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