The SpaceX Crew-10 mission has successfully reached the International Space Station (ISS), completing a 28-hour orbital journey. The four-member crew docked at the ISS early Sunday morning (March 16), marking another milestone in NASA and SpaceX’s collaboration in space exploration.
The mission launched on Friday evening (March 14) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance, docked with the ISS’s Harmony module at 12:04 a.m. EDT (0404 GMT) while orbiting 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the Atlantic Ocean.
Meet the Crew of Crew-10
The four astronauts on this mission represent three different countries. They include mission commander Anne McClain and pilot Nichole Ayers, both from NASA, along with mission specialists Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Kirill Peskov from Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency.
After docking, the crew officially entered the ISS at 1:35 a.m. EDT (0535 GMT). The hatch was opened, and the astronauts floated aboard the station, where they were welcomed by the current ISS occupants.
A Mission of Science and Collaboration
The Crew-10 mission will last about six months. The team will conduct various scientific experiments and maintenance tasks essential for the continued operation of the space station.
“It’s such a great honor for us to be part of this program,” said Takuya Onishi. “We have a lot of exciting work ahead of us that we are looking forward to. Again, thank you very much to everybody who helped us to get here.”
This mission also plays a critical role in ensuring a smooth transition between astronaut teams. The Crew-10 team will relieve four astronauts who have been on the ISS for an extended period.
Crew-10 Relieves Starliner Astronauts
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, have been on the ISS for months. Hague and Gorbunov arrived in late September as part of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, while Williams and Wilmore have been aboard since early June after launching on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
The Starliner mission, originally planned for a short 10-day stay, faced unexpected thruster issues. NASA eventually decided to return the spacecraft uncrewed in early September. As a result, Williams and Wilmore had to remain on the ISS longer than planned, with NASA adjusting crew rotations accordingly.
The four outgoing astronauts will return to Earth aboard the Crew-9 Dragon capsule no earlier than Wednesday, March 19, NASA officials confirmed.
SpaceX and NASA Continue a Strong Partnership
This successful mission highlights the ongoing partnership between SpaceX and NASA in advancing space travel. With Crew-10’s arrival, the ISS continues to operate smoothly, supporting critical research and international collaboration in space exploration.
