Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's first space flight as an ISRO astronaut may face delays due to a scheduling conflict between NASA and SpaceX regarding the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore from the International Space Station (ISS).

SpaceX intended to return Williams and Willmore on the Crew-10 mission using a new Dragon spacecraft, but battery issues have caused delays, potentially pushing Williams's return from February to March, and possibly April. NASA is considering using the Dragon spacecraft assigned to Axiom Space, which was originally meant to carry four private astronauts, including Shukla, to the ISS. If this occurs, the Axiom-4 mission, scheduled for spring, could be delayed.

The Dragon spacecraft, previously used for the Crew-7 mission, might now be used for Crew-10 to return Williams and Willmore, possibly by March 19. Williams and Willmore, who arrived at the ISS last June, were initially scheduled for a week-long stay, but the issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule led to NASA sending it back empty. Despite their extended stay and a recent five-hour spacewalk, both astronauts are reported to be in good health.

Agencies