SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft docked at the International Space Station on Sunday, facilitating the return of stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The pair has been aboard the ISS for more than nine months.
The Crew-10 mission successfully arrived at the ISS approximately 29 hours after launching from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Friday evening. It brought NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. A livestream captured the joyous moment as they arrived at the ISS, exchanging greetings and embraces with Expedition 72 crew members, including Wilmore and Williams.
SpaceX Crew-10 members and Expedition 72 crew members aboard the ISS.
NASA
Wilmore and Williams had a mission originally planned for just eight days but have found themselves stranded on the ISS since June 2024. NASA and Boeing had identified issues including helium leaks and thruster problems with the Starliner spacecraft that transported the two astronauts to the ISS. This led to the decision to return the Starliner uncrewed to minimize risk and gather additional data. The Starliner successfully landed back on Earth in September, touching down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
During their extended stay, Wilmore and Williams have supported station research, maintenance, and testing of the Starliner systems, as reported by NASA. They are expected to return to Earth no earlier than Wednesday, March 19, following a transitional period with the Crew-10 members. They will be joined by American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who arrived in September.
The Crew-10 astronauts are anticipated to spend approximately the next six months on the ISS, conducting scientific research and testing that will aid in preparing humans for future space missions.
