Posted: Fri, Apr 27, 2007, 8:22 AM ET (1222 GMT)
Current space station crew member Sunita Williams will return to Earth on a shuttle mission scheduled for launch in June, one mission earlier than planned, NASA announced Thursday. Williams will return on the next shuttle mission, STS-117, and will be replaced by Clay Anderson, who will fly to the ISS on the same shuttle mission. Williams had planned to come back on the following mission, STS-118, but delays in the shuttle schedule had pushed that mission's launch back to August. By returning on STS-117, Williams will have spent about as much time on the station as originally planned, since STS-118 had been scheduled for a June launch. NASA officials said there were no health or other issues that required Williams to return in June, but by doing so she would remain eligible for future flight assignments.
