NASA Adjusts SpaceX Crew to Bring Home Astronauts Stuck in Space

NASA has made a crucial adjustment to its upcoming SpaceX flight, removing two astronauts to accommodate the return of two others stuck at the International Space Station. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who arrived at the station in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, were deemed too risky to return in the same vehicle due to ongoing technical issues. NASA’s Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov are scheduled to launch in September, joining the station’s current crew. They will then return with Williams and Wilmore in February. The astronauts who have been removed from the SpaceX flight are Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson. NASA has expressed that they may be able to fly on future missions. The US has relied on Russia to transport crews to the space station since the retirement of the space shuttles, until SpaceX began ferrying astronauts in 2020. Both nations continue to exchange seats for their astronauts. Next month, NASA’s Don Pettit will launch to the station while NASA’s Tracy Dyson will return to Earth on a Russian capsule.