NASA’s next International Space Station crew launched on Friday, paving the way for Starliner astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams to return home next week with the help of two other departing station crew members. This marks the conclusion of an extended space mission.
The Crew-10 commander Anne McClain, pilot Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov lifted off from historic pad 39 at the Kennedy Space Center at 7:03 p.m. EDT. The rocket put on a spectacular show as it climbed away from the Kennedy Space Center, propelling the crew towards their destination.
Ten minutes after liftoff, the Crew Dragon capsule was released from the rocket’s upper stage to continue on its own journey. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon capsule Endurance for the Crew-10 mission, soared into the sky from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14, 2025.
Following a successful liftoff, the Crew Dragon is set to autonomously rendezvous with the space station and dock at the forward port at 11:30 p.m. the next day. The incoming crew will be welcomed by the current station crew, marking the beginning of their mission aboard the International Space Station.
The Crew 10 members, including a mix of experienced pilots from different backgrounds, are gearing up to take over operations on the space station. The team is expected to spend time familiarizing themselves with the station’s operations before returning home in the same Crew Dragon spacecraft that brought them to the station.
The mission is a significant milestone for the commercial crew program overseeing SpaceX Crew Dragons and Boeing’s Starliner, with the crew members preparing for a successful completion of their mission after an eventful journey.
“Starliner pilot Sunita Williams and commander Butch Wilmore enjoyed a makeshift pizza dinner onboard the International Space Station. The Starliner astronauts, who have been in space for an extended nine-and-a-half-month stay, are being praised for their exceptional work as they prepare to return to Earth. Launched on June 5, the astronauts encountered challenges during the spacecraft’s first piloted test flight, including propulsion system leaks and maneuvering jet issues.
Originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, the astronauts had to extend their stay while NASA and Boeing assessed the Starliner’s readiness for a safe return. By August, Boeing was confident in the spacecraft’s capabilities, but NASA decided to delay their return until early this year. The astronauts remained on the station until they could return aboard the Crew 9 Dragon.
Despite the unexpected mission extension, Wilmore and Williams remained positive, emphasizing their commitment to the team and their military background prepared them for such situations. Meanwhile, President Trump criticized the Biden administration for the delay, but SpaceX’s Crew 10 will be responsible for their return.
Elon Musk offered to bring the astronauts back earlier, but the plan was rejected for operational reasons. Now, with the arrival of Crew 10, Wilmore and Williams are set to return to Earth along with their colleagues Hague and Gorbunov.”
While NASA could have brought Crew 9 back earlier on the Crew 9 Dragon, doing so would have meant leaving a single astronaut, Pettit, alone on the lab to manage and maintain the U.S. segment of the space station. This would have halted research and created challenges in various emergency situations.
Addressing this, Williams explained to CBS News, “Sure, the Dragon could have taken us back home, but that would have left only three people on the space station from the Soyuz crew, comprising two Russians and one American. The space station is vast, the size of a football field, and unforeseen issues can arise.”
Williams emphasized the importance of having additional crew members for handling potential problems both inside and outside the station. Wilmore and Williams clarified that they do not feel “stranded” or “abandoned” in space, contrary to some narratives.
Wilmore expressed, “From the beginning, there has been a narrative of us being stranded or abandoned, but that’s not in line with the essence of our human space flight program. We are not abandoned, stuck, or stranded. We are prepared and committed. Our human space flight program equips us to deal with any and all situations, and we embrace that readiness. Let’s shift the narrative to ‘prepared’ and ‘committed’.”
Additionally, headlines about a woman charged for allegedly holding her stepson captive for over 20 years and a man reportedly being held captive in a Connecticut room for decades were also highlighted. Information about the impending government shutdown as the funding deadline approaches was also mentioned.
