NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-10 mission on Friday, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on a routine rotation flight that will also bring home two US astronauts stranded for nine months.
Smooth liftoff from Florida
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:03 p.m. ET (5:03 a.m. PKT, Saturday). Applause erupted in the control center as the rocket passed each flight checkpoint without issue.
The mission carries four astronauts:
- Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos, Russia) – Mission Specialist
- Nichole Ayers (NASA, U.S.) – Pilot
- Anne McClain (NASA, U.S.) – Commander
- Takuya Onishi (JAXA, Japan) – Mission Specialist
Each astronaut spoke from the cockpit as the craft soared toward space, thanking mission staff and expressing hope for continued international cooperation in space exploration.
Rescue Mission for Stranded NASA Astronauts
Crew-10’s arrival at the ISS marks a significant step in bringing home Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the ISS since June 2024.
Wilmore and Williams were the first to fly Boeing’s Starliner capsule to the ISS, but issues with its propulsion system made it unsafe for their return journey. NASA extended their stay indefinitely, and the Starliner returned to Earth empty in September.
Now, Crew-10’s arrival will allow Wilmore and Williams to depart the station on March 19 and return safely to Earth.
28-hour journey to the ISS
The Crew-10 astronauts are expected to dock at the ISS on Saturday night (Sunday morning PKT) after a 28-hour journey.
As the spacecraft entered orbit, ground crew wished them well, and each astronaut sent messages of gratitude to their families, friends, and the mission team on Earth.
This mission represents another milestone in space travel, highlighting collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, Roscosmos, and JAXA.
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