For nearly nine months, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have remained aboard the International Space Station (ISS), far beyond their planned eight-day mission duration. Now, with the successful launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission and docking with ISS, their long-awaited return is finally within reach.
Crew-10 mission launched at 23:03 UTC on March 14 from Launch Complex 39 A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted the Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov into orbit for a six-month-long science-focused mission abroad at the ISS.
This launch marks the beginning of the crew rotation for Expedition 72/73, enabling Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been in orbit since September 28, 2024, to finally return to Earth.
Williams and Wilmore, part of Boeing’s first crewed Starliner mission, have remained aboard the ISS far longer than planned due to technical issues with their return spacecraft, preventing their scheduled departure.
Originally launched for a short-duration test flight in June 2024, the mission was supposed to validate Boeing’s Starliner capsule as a reliable means of crew transport. However, after docking with the ISS, engineers identified multiple propulsion system malfunctions, preventing the capsule from safely making its return to Earth.
The primary issue involved several helium leaks in the Starliner’s propulsion system, which is responsible for maneuvering and deorbiting the capsule. NASA and Boeing engineers also detected concerns with the spacecraft’s thrusters, which are critical for controlled descent. Despite troubleshooting efforts, these problems persisted, raising safety concerns and forcing NASA to postpone the astronauts’ return indefinitely while a solution was developed.
For Williams and Wilmore, the unexpected extension meant adapting to an unplanned long-term stay aboard the ISS. Although they were never in immediate danger, their situation was unusual, as the Starliner mission was originally intended to last only about two weeks.
Over the months, they integrated into daily ISS operations, assisting with ongoing research, station maintenance, and exercise routines necessary to counteract the effects of prolonged microgravity. However, the delay also raised concerns about mission planning and highlighted the challenges of relying on multiple commercial partners for human spaceflight.
The astronauts from Crew-10 arrived at the ISS on Sunday, March 16, as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked autonomously to the forward-facing port of the Harmony module at 04:04 UTC while the station was approximately 418 km (260 miles) over the Atlantic Ocean. Following docking, the crew conducted standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft and the station, leading to the hatch opening at approximately 05:45 UTC.
The arrival of the four-member team has temporarily increased the station’s population to 11 astronauts. Joining them are NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner.
After a short handover period, Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov are scheduled to depart no earlier than March 20, 2025. Before their departure, mission teams will evaluate weather conditions at designated splashdown sites off Florida’s coast. Mission managers are targeting an earlier Crew-9 return opportunity based on favorable conditions forecasted for the evening of March 18.
During their stay, Crew-10 is expected to conduct material flammability testing under the Material Ignition and Suppression Test (SoFIE-MIST) to enhance future spacecraft and facility safety standards. They will also engage with students through the ISS Ham Radio program and test backup lunar navigation software using existing hardware aboard the station. One astronaut will participate in a detailed physiological and psychological study aimed at understanding human responses in long-duration microgravity, offering data relevant to deep space missions.
The Dragon spacecraft’s flight path and automatic maneuvers were monitored by SpaceX from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA oversaw ISS operations from its Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Before launch, SpaceX addressed a hydraulics issue in the ground support system for the Falcon 9 clamp arm on March 12. Teams flushed out a trapped air pocket, and with favorable weather conditions (greater than 95% chance of acceptable launch weather), the mission proceeded on schedule.
“I am extremely proud of our NASA and SpaceX ground engineers and joint operations teams in quickly identifying and resolving this issue,” Steve Stich, manager, of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said.
“I’m especially proud of the team’s systematic approach throughout the countdown, analyzing data and making thoughtful decisions to ensure the integrity of our mission. Their commitment to both excellence and safety is a true testament to the strength of this integrated team.”
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will join the ISS crew in April 2025 aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, further supporting Expedition 73. Kim, a first-time space traveler, is a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander, former Navy SEAL, and Harvard-trained medical doctor.
McClain, commanding Crew-10, is on her second spaceflight following her 2013 astronaut selection. She serves as a flight engineer for Expeditions 72/73. Ayers, the pilot of Crew-10, was selected in 2021 and is making her first spaceflight. Onishi, the mission specialist from JAXA, is on his second space mission, while Peskov, from Roscosmos, is making his first journey into space. Each crew member will function as a flight engineer throughout Expeditions 72/73.
The Crew-10 mission marks NASA’s 10th crew rotation and 11th human spaceflight using SpaceX’s Dragon under the Commercial Crew Program, initiated to ensure safe, reliable, and cost-effective transport to the ISS. The station has served as a platform for scientific research and technological testing for over 24 years, supporting ongoing efforts such as the Artemis campaign to return humans to the Moon and plan future missions to Mars.
The Crew-9 mission, active since September 28, 2024, contributed to scientific work, including microbial sampling on the ISS exterior, 3D printing of medical devices, and agricultural experiments assessing the impact of space conditions on plant growth.
References:
1 NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Launches to International Space Station – NASA – March 14, 2025
2 NASA to Provide Live Coverage of Crew-9 Return, Splashdown – NASA – March 16, 2025
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.