Kashmir | March 15, 2025 -NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the International Space Station for over nine months, are finally nearing the end of their extended mission. On Friday, March 14, 2025, SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-10 mission from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, sending a new team of astronauts to the ISS to take over operations and pave the way for Williams and Wilmore’s return to Earth.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:03 p.m. EDT, carrying four astronauts: NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The Crew-10 team is expected to dock with the ISS on Saturday, March 15, at approximately 11:30 p.m. ET, marking the beginning of a handover process. Following a brief transition period, Williams and Wilmore, along with Crew-9 members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, are scheduled to depart the station as early as Sunday, March 16, with a splashdown off the Florida coast anticipated shortly after, weather permitting.
Williams and Wilmore’s journey began on June 5, 2024, when they launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for what was intended to be an eight-day test flight. However, technical issues with the Starliner, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, deemed it unsafe for their return. NASA opted to send the uncrewed Starliner back to Earth in September 2024, leaving the astronauts to remain on the ISS until a suitable return option was arranged. Their extended stay, now stretching over 280 days, has tested the resilience of both the astronauts and NASA’s operational planning.
The Crew-10 mission faced its own challenges prior to launch. An initial attempt on Wednesday, March 12, was scrubbed due to a hydraulic issue with a ground support clamp arm on the Falcon 9 rocket. A second attempt on Thursday was postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions, including high winds and rain. After resolving the technical glitch and awaiting a clearer forecast, the successful launch on Friday marked a critical step in bringing Williams and Wilmore home.
The astronauts’ prolonged mission has not been without purpose. Integrated into the ISS crew, Williams assumed the role of station commander in September 2024, while both she and Wilmore contributed to scientific research and maintenance tasks. Despite their adaptability, the extended absence has taken a toll on their families, with Williams and Wilmore expressing a longing to reunite with loved ones after months in orbit.
NASA and SpaceX have emphasised that this mission is part of a routine crew rotation, albeit under unusual circumstances. The Crew-10 astronauts will remain on the ISS for approximately six months, continuing the station’s ongoing research and operations. Meanwhile, Williams and Wilmore’s return aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, originally launched as part of the Crew-9 mission in September 2024, will conclude one of the longest unintended stays in space for U.S. astronauts.
NASA, however, has maintained that the astronauts were never abandoned, with contingency plans always in place to ensure their safety and eventual homecoming. As the Crew-10 team prepares to assume their duties, Williams and Wilmore are poised to bid farewell to the ISS, closing a chapter marked by unexpected delays and remarkable perseverance. Their splashdown will cap a mission that began as a brief test but evolved into a testament to human endurance in space.
For now, all eyes are on the ISS docking and the weather conditions that will determine the precise timing of their return. NASA officials remain optimistic, heralding the launch as a milestone in the agency’s partnership with SpaceX and a step toward resolving one of the most publicised spaceflight sagas in recent memory.