The Crew 10 Dragon spacecraft successfully rendezvoused with the International Space Station and conducted a flawless docking early Sunday, delivering four new crew members to the orbiting laboratory. This arrival paves the way for the Starliner astronauts to return to Earth following their nearly 300-day mission in space.
Approaching from below and behind, the Crew Dragon, launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Friday evening, flew under the station at a distance of 1,300 feet before maneuvering to a position 720 feet ahead of the outpost. It then smoothly docked at the Harmony module’s forward port at 12:04 a.m. EDT.
The docking mechanism secured the capsule in place with motorized latches, creating an airtight seal. Following standard checks, the crew opened the hatch at 1:35 a.m. and floated into the space station.
Commander Anne McClain, a seasoned Army colonel and former combat helicopter pilot, expressed the crew’s excitement upon seeing the space station for the first time, describing their journey as incredible. Co-pilot Nichole Ayers, an Air Force major and F-22 Raptor pilot, thanked SpaceX for the remarkable journey and eagerly anticipated their tasks aboard the space station.
The Crew 10 team includes McClain, Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, who are replacing the outgoing Crew 9 members. The returning Crew 9 astronauts will assist in the transition before departing for Earth next week.
The arrival of Crew 10 marks a key milestone in the ongoing missions to the International Space Station, with preparations underway for the upcoming crew rotations and scientific endeavors in space.
On March 14, 2025, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida will see the landing of 39A. When Wilmore and Williams touch down, they will have spent nearly 290 days in space since their launch last June. This flight duration, although substantial, falls short of the U.S. record held by astronaut Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days in space during his mission from 2022 to 2023.
Interestingly, Rubio’s record-breaking stint was due to an unexpected coolant leak in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft he was aboard. Instead of using the original craft to return to Earth, the Russians launched a replacement spacecraft, extending Rubio’s time in space to over a year – twice as long as he had planned.
Williams, having already completed two previous missions on the space station, will rank as the second most experienced U.S. astronaut, with approximately 570 days in space overall, depending on the exact launch date. Peggy Whitson, a former astronaut, currently holds the record for the most time spent in space among U.S. astronauts, accumulating 675 days over four flights.
In other news, Trump issues a warning to Iran while ordering strikes against Houthis in Yemen. Retail giants like Macy’s and Walgreens are facing financial challenges, and the Senate has passed a short-term funding bill to prevent a government shutdown.
