NASA's Crew-10 Arrives At ISS; Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Welcome Astronauts Before Departure

Last Updated:March 16, 2025, 11:29 IST

Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to depart on Wednesday after spending more than nine months in space, accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Crew-10 astronauts welcomed by Crew-9 astronauts including Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on ISS. (NASA)

Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return: NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX had launched a long-awaited crew mission to the Space Station (ISS) to bring back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck in space for over nine months after technical issues in their Starliner capsule. The Crew-10 has officially arrived at the ISS as SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully completed the docking process at 12:04 am ET (9:34 am Indian time).

Just after completing the docking, Crew-10 received a welcome from an orbital sunrise.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying four astronauts who will replace Wilmore and Williams. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft has now successfully docked at the ISS at 9:35 am Indian time on March 16. The hatch was opened shortly after the spacecraft conducted standard leak checks and pressurisation.

At 9:30 IST, the spacecraft began its final approach after getting the go-ahead from the ISS crew for docking. The Crew Dragon spacecraft has completed rendezvous and the docking sequence was completed at around 9:40 am IST, with the ISS crew welcoming the new NASA astronauts. The spacecraft is ready for hatch opening at the ISS.

Crew 9 Welcomes Crew 10 On ISS

The hatch was opened at approximately 12:35 am ET (11:05 am Indian time), after which the new NASA crew entered the space station and met Williams, Wilmore and other members of the Expedition 72 crew. The Crew-Crew-9 is expected to deliver their farewell remarks later today.

The stranded astronauts would be replaced by four astronauts who boarded SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket – Cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia, Pilot Nichole Ayers and Commander Anne McClain of US, and Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of Japan’s JAXA.

Williams and Wilmore welcomed the four astronauts who will take their place at the space station. The four newcomers from the US, Russia and Japan will spend the next few days learning the station’s ins and outs from the duo before the latter return home.

The four new astronauts thanked NASA and SpaceX for the journey. “Crew-10 has had a great journey up about 28 hours to get back up to the space station and I cannot tell you the immense joy of our crew when we looked out the window and saw the space station for the first time," said McClain.

“From the bottom of my heart, thanks to our families, friends and our colleagues, from all the p[artners, NASA, SpaceX, CSA, ISSA, Roscosmos and JAXA for preparing us and making it possible for us to get here," said Takuya. “We are so excited to be part of Expedition 72."

The Crew-10 is expected to stay at the ISS for six months and will join the Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts including Williams and Wilmore, increasing the total number of astronauts on the ISS to 11.

Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore To Depart On Wednesday

Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to depart on Wednesday as early as 4 am ET (1:30 pm IST), and make their way back to Earth after their trip to space, which was initially meant for only eight days, stretched on for over nine months. They will be accompanied with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who flew on a Crew Dragon craft.

Musk said SpaceX had offered a dedicated Dragon mission for the pair last year as NASA mulled ways to bring the two back to Earth. However, NASA officials said two astronauts have had to remain on the ISS to maintain adequate staffing levels.

Dragon is designed to dock autonomously, but the crew aboard the spacecraft and the space station will monitor as it approaches and docks to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.

“Congratulations to our NASA and SpaceX teams on the 10th crew rotation mission under our commercial crew partnership. This milestone demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to advancing American leadership in space and driving growth in our national space economy," said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro.

A ‘Roller Coaster’ Ride

Williams and Wilmore, who had initially planned to stay at the ISS for eight days, have been stuck in space for nine months after technical issues developed on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

During their approach to the ISS, five of the 28 thrusters of the Starliner spacecraft carrying Williams and Wilmore failed, which extended their trip from days to months in space. Their extended delay fuelled health concerns as pictures showed Williams undergoing a drastic weight loss.

Having seen their mission turn into a normal NASA rotation to the ISS, Wilmore and Williams have been doing scientific research and conducting routine maintenance with the other five astronauts.

Williams told reporters earlier this month that she was looking forward to returning home to see her two dogs and family. “It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us," she said.

US President Donald Trump and his close ally Elon Musk have repeatedly asserted that the two astronauts were left stranded at the ISS by the previous Joe Biden administration for “political reasons". Their demand for an earlier return for the astronauts was an unusual intervention into NASA operations.

(with Reuters inputs)

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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