Crew-10 Mission Launches: NASA, SpaceX Bring Home US Astronauts

Crew-10 Mission Launches: NASA, SpaceX Bring Home US Astronauts

On March 14, 2025, NASA and SpaceX launched Crew-10 from Kennedy Space Center, marking a historic moment in returning astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth after an extended nine-month tenure aboard the International Space Station (ISS). 

The Crew-10 mission involved the continued mission of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were scheduled for a short test flight in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, but have since seen a prolongation caused by technical issues with the spacecraft’s timely return.  Therefore, the two remained on the ISS, continuing their experiments and maintenance work, waiting for a possible chance to return.

The Crew-10 mission, which uses SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule, is made up of a multi-national body of astronauts comprising NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.  This crew would replace the earlier crew aboard the ISS, thus making possible the return of Williams and Wilmore.

A hydraulic issue forced a short delay, but the mission was launched successfully after postponement for a week.  Following a short handover period onboard the ISS, Williams and Wilmore will leave not earlier than March 19, 2025, depending on the weather for the designated splashdown sites off the coast of Florida. 

This mission marks the resilience and changes that space travel has experienced. Ups, down, and all sideways, NASA and SpaceX have managed to ensure the happy and safe return of astronauts Williams and Wilmore, incorporating what he calls “strong partnerships that move the needle” in human spaceflight.

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