On Saturday morning, SpaceX launched its Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant step towards bringing NASA's astronaut Sunita Williams back to Earth. The four astronauts of Crew-10 will assist the Crew-9 crew, which includes the stranded Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The launch was initially scheduled for earlier in the week but was delayed due to technical issues and subsequent strong winds in the launch area.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon capsule, took off on Saturday, March 15, at approximately 4:33 AM IST. This mission is a part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and will bring four new astronauts to the ISS, including NASA's Anne McClain and Nicole Aunapu Mann, JAXA's Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos's Kirill Peskov.
Source: aajtak
Upon arrival at the ISS, Crew-10 astronauts will replace the current crew, which includes Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
The Crew-9 team is expected to depart from the ISS before Wednesday, March 19, provided the weather off the coast of Florida is favorable. Sunita Williams, alongside Butch Wilmore, has been at the ISS since the Boeing Starliner spacecraft encountered issues, causing an extended stay since June 2024.
Source: aajtak
Upon assuming office, President Donald Trump gave Elon Musk the important task of ensuring the astronauts' safe return to Earth. He stressed the importance of returning the astronauts as soon as possible.
Read More: Discover the Marvelous Feat Sunita Williams Achieved in Space
Sunita Williams went to the International Space Station on June 5 last year, with an expected return a week later. However, due to faults in the Boeing Starliner, her stay was unexpectedly prolonged. Both astronauts embarked on their space venture with Boeing and NASA's joint Crew Flight Test Mission.
