Crew-10 Mission Successfully Reaches ISS, Bringing U.S. Astronauts Closer to Return

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Crew-10 mission, a joint effort by NASA and SpaceX, has successfully arrived at the International Space Station (ISS). The mission aims to bring back American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in space for months. According to NASA’s schedule, the Crew Dragon capsule is expected to dock with the ISS at 11:30 pm Indian time on March 16, with the hatch opening at 10:30 am the following day.

The launch took place from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon capsule. The capsule separated from the rocket’s upper stage about 10 minutes after launch, and SpaceX confirmed the crew was on its way to the ISS.

The docking process, which involves two spacecraft meeting in orbit, will be done either automatically or manually. Once safely docked, the astronauts will check for air leaks and open the hatch. Afterward, the Crew-10 astronauts will change out of their spacesuits, begin unloading cargo, and take part in a welcoming ceremony, followed by a farewell speech from the current Crew-9.

With the arrival of Crew-10, the number of astronauts on the ISS will temporarily rise to 11. The new crew will join NASA astronauts Nick Haag, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit, along with Russian cosmonauts Alexander Gorbunov, Alexei Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. After a short handover, Haag, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov are scheduled to return to Earth no earlier than March 19. Before they depart, NASA will evaluate weather conditions for a safe splashdown at potential sites off Florida’s coast.

Originally scheduled for a week, the mission for Williams and Wilmore has been extended by about nine months, and they are now aboard a SpaceX capsule instead of NASA’s Boeing Starliner spacecraft.