SpaceX Crew-10 Successfully Docks at ISS, Paving the Way for Astronauts’ Return

In a significant milestone, SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday. The docking, which took place at 12:05 a.m. EST (9:35 a.m. IST), has brought renewed hope for the return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in orbit for several months due to technical complications with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

Crew-10 Mission Details: A Long-Awaited Journey

Launched from Texas on Friday, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule took approximately 28.5 hours to travel from Earth to the ISS. The spacecraft was carrying four astronauts: Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers from NASA, Takuya Onishi from Japan’s JAXA, and Kirill Peskov from Russia’s Roscosmos. Once aboard the ISS, the astronauts will join Williams and Wilmore and spend the next few days familiarizing themselves with the station’s operations.

Astronauts Williams and Wilmore’s Extended Stay in Space

Williams and Wilmore have been aboard the ISS since June, originally scheduled to return after an eight-day mission. However, due to ongoing technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their journey back to Earth was delayed repeatedly. Plans to send them home after Crew-9’s arrival in August were scrapped because of a missing emergency escape pod.

With Crew-10 now successfully docked, the astronauts will finally be able to return to Earth alongside Crew-9 in the coming days. According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, their return flight is expected to begin soon.

Mission Delays and Final Steps for Astronauts’ Return

The Crew-10 mission had originally been scheduled for Wednesday evening but was delayed due to an issue with a ground support clamp arm on the rocket. Despite the delay, the mission has now resumed, and the long-awaited return of the two stranded astronauts is imminent.

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Earlier, NASA had planned for Williams and Wilmore to return by the end of March, but their return was moved up after US President Donald Trump personally urged Elon Musk to accelerate their journey back to Earth. With Crew-10’s successful docking, the astronauts’ homecoming is finally within reach.

SpaceX Continues to Play a Crucial Role in Space Exploration

SpaceX’s successful Crew-10 mission marks another achievement in the company’s ongoing efforts to support NASA’s space missions. With the return of Williams and Wilmore soon to be a reality, SpaceX continues to demonstrate its critical role in advancing space exploration and ensuring the safety of astronauts in space.