NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the highly anticipated Crew-10 mission on Friday, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on a routine rotation. In addition to the scheduled tasks, this mission will bring home two U.S. astronauts who have been stranded on the ISS for nine months due to technical issues.
Smooth Liftoff from Florida
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:03 p.m. ET, marking the beginning of the 28-hour journey to the ISS. The launch went smoothly, with the control center erupting in applause as the rocket cleared all checkpoints without any issues.
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The Crew-10 team consists of four astronauts representing multiple space agencies: Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos, Russia) as the mission specialist, Nichole Ayers (NASA, U.S.) as the pilot, Anne McClain (NASA, U.S.) as the mission commander, and Takuya Onishi (JAXA, Japan) as the second mission specialist. From the cockpit, the astronauts expressed their gratitude to the mission team and spoke of the importance of international cooperation in space exploration.
Rescue Mission for Stranded Astronauts
One of the mission’s critical objectives is to bring home NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the ISS since June 2024. The two astronauts were initially part of Boeing’s Starliner mission, but due to propulsion system malfunctions, their return journey was deemed unsafe. The Starliner capsule returned to Earth empty in September, leaving Wilmore and Williams onboard the station for an extended stay.
With Crew-10’s arrival, Wilmore and Williams will be able to return safely to Earth on March 19, finally ending their extended mission.
28-Hour Journey to the ISS
The Crew-10 team is expected to dock at the ISS on Saturday night after their 28-hour journey. As they entered orbit, the astronauts expressed their gratitude to their families and the ground crew. The mission is yet another milestone in space exploration, highlighting the collaborative efforts of NASA, SpaceX, Roscosmos, and JAXA.
