BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – NASA and SpaceX successfully launched four Crew-10 astronauts from Florida on Friday evening. The crew is headed to the International Space Station (ISS) where they will rendezvous with NASA’s two stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Crew-10’s arrival at ISS set for late Saturday night
What we know:
NASA’s two stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are finally set to return home after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their replacements — NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov — launched aboard a SpaceX capsule from Kennedy Space Center on Friday night and are expected to arrive late Saturday.
NASA scheduled an overlap between the crews to ensure a smooth transition before Wilmore and Williams depart next week, weather permitting. They will return with the rescue mission crew that arrived last September, with two empty seats reserved for them on the SpaceX capsule.
What we don’t know:
While NASA has planned for a mid-March return, it remains uncertain if weather conditions will allow for a timely splashdown off the Florida coast. It is also unclear if additional technical issues could arise, given the past delays in securing their return. Furthermore, the full extent of any long-term physical or psychological effects on Wilmore and Williams from their unexpectedly extended stay in space is unknown.
The backstory:
Wilmore and Williams launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule on June 5, expecting to stay for just a week. However, their mission took an unexpected turn when helium leaks and thruster failures made it unsafe for Starliner to return them to Earth. After months of investigation, NASA decided to send the capsule back empty and arranged for them to return on a SpaceX flight.
Their homecoming, initially planned for February, was postponed again due to battery issues on SpaceX’s new capsule. To expedite the process, NASA opted for a used SpaceX capsule, moving their return up to mid-March.
Crew-10 was expected to launch earlier this week, but Wednesday night’s mission was scrubbed due to a hydraulic issue with a clamp arm attached to the transporter erector system, officials said.
Big picture view:
The extended stay of Wilmore and Williams has highlighted the risks and challenges associated with space travel, particularly with new spacecraft like Boeing’s Starliner. Their situation has drawn political attention, with figures like President Donald Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk blaming delays on the previous administration.
However, NASA has maintained that the decisions were made with safety as the top priority. Meanwhile, the incident underscores the ongoing rivalry between SpaceX and Boeing in the commercial spaceflight industry and the reliability concerns surrounding new spacecraft development.
Timeline:
The replacements for NASA’s two stuck astronauts launched to the International Space Station on Friday night, paving the way for the pair’s return after nine long months. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams need SpaceX to get this relief team to the space station before they can check out. Arrival is set for late Saturday night. Below is a timeline of events:
- June 2024: Wilmore and Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner for what was supposed to be a week-long mission.
- Over the summer: Helium leaks and thruster failures prevented their return, prompting months of investigation.
- September: NASA ruled Starliner unsafe for crewed return and arranged for Wilmore and Williams to fly home on a SpaceX mission.
- February 2025: Their scheduled return was delayed again due to battery issues with SpaceX’s new capsule.
- March: NASA switched to a used SpaceX capsule to expedite their homecoming, with launch occurring Friday night and arrival at the ISS expected late Saturday.
- Next week, Wilmore and Williams are set to undock and return to Earth, weather permitting.
Dig deeper:
During their time in the orbiting laboratory, SpaceX said the crew will conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit humanity on Earth.
They will test spacecraft materials, engage with students via ham radio, test a lunar navigation system, and study how space affects the body.
Meet the members of the Crew-10 mission
The four new astronauts heading to space on the Crew-10 mission are Kirill Peskov, Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain and Takuya Onishi.
Anne McClain
- Commander of the Crew-10 mission
- From Spokane, Washington
- Has been to space one time previously
Nichole Ayers
- Pilot of the Crew-10 mission
- Grew up in Colorado
- First mission to space
Kirill Peskov
- Mission specialist for Crew-10
- Astronaut from the Russian space agency Roscosmos
- First mission to space
Takuya Onishi
- Mission specialist for Crew-10
- Astronaut for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- Third time in space
The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from previous reporting, as well as information shared by NASA and SpaceX on its website and social media pages.
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