NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the long-awaited Crew-10 mission on Friday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Crew Dragon capsule lifted off at 7:03 PM local time, sending four astronauts toward the International Space Station (ISS) to replace the stranded crew that includes Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been on the ISS for nine months.
Launch and Mission Overview
The Crew-10 team comprises NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi from JAXA, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Their mission, scheduled to dock with the ISS on March 15, will allow them a few days to settle in before Crew-9 departs no sooner than March 19. The launch marks a significant step in rotating the ISS crew and relieving the current team.
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Delay and Technical Hurdles
Originally slated for a March 12 launch, the mission faced a last-minute delay due to an issue with the rocket’s ground systems. On March 13, NASA announced that SpaceX resolved the problem by flushing a suspected air pocket from a hydraulic clamp arm. With the weather now 95% favorable, the mission proceeded as planned on Friday.
A Prolonged Stay and Its Impact
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, part of the previous crew, have been on the ISS for an unusually long period following technical difficulties with Boeing’s Starliner. Their extended stay—originally intended to last eight days—was forced by problems with the spacecraft, which returned empty after the mission. This delay has now set the stage for the Crew-10 rotation.
Political Controversy
The mission has also become entangled in political debates. US President Donald Trump, along with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has criticized former President Joe Biden for leaving the astronauts on the ISS, alleging that political motives influenced the decision. Trump warned of “devastating” financial sanctions if Moscow, or other partners, do not meet certain conditions during upcoming negotiations.
