They are scheduled to dock with the orbiting laboratory around 11:30 p.m. on March 15.
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla.—Another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched into twilight skies above Florida’s east coast on March 14, sending NASA’s (National Aeronautic and Space Administration) Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for a four-month stay and the start of the 73rd long-duration liveaboard mission in nearly 25 years.
Onboard SpaceX’s Dragon “Endurance” are NASA astronaut and active-duty Army Colonel Anne McClain (Crew-10 commander), NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force Major Nichole Ayers (pilot), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi (mission specialist), and Russia’s Roscosmos Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov (mission specialist).
They are scheduled to dock with the orbiting laboratory around 11:30 p.m. on March 15. Their arrival will signal the final countdown for the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Wilmore and Williams had their planned eight-day mission grow into more than nine months after technical malfunctions arose during their test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and left them stranded on the space station.
The launch comes two days late after a hydraulic issue was discovered on one of the clamp arms holding the rocket up on March 12, causing the launch to be scrubbed. NASA then announced that mission managers decided to waive an attempt to make the first backup launch attempt on March 13 due to precipitation and high winds forecast along the spacecraft’s flight path.
While some controversy surrounded their extended stay, NASA officials said they made the best choice possible given the availability of equipment and the necessity to continue ongoing ISS mission objectives.
Wilmore and Williams became part of the resident Expedition 72 crew, with Williams even serving as ISS commander until March 7. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov launched a unique two-person crew for Crew-9, bringing seats with custom lining for Williams and Wilmore, as well as extra spacesuits for re-entry.
Crew-9 docked with the ISS on Sept. 29, 2024, which means Williams and Wilmore have had their ride home ready to go for months. However, there was a larger goal that they needed to work toward as a necessary part of Expedition 72.
By T.J. Muscaro
