NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the extremely anticipated Crew-10 mission as we speak, marking a vital step in astronaut transport to and from the International Space Station (ISS). This mission won’t solely ship 4 astronauts to the ISS but additionally facilitate the long-awaited return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who’ve been stranded in house for over eight months due to technical failures with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Originally deliberate as an eight-day mission, their keep was considerably extended, main to each political hypothesis and engineering debates.
The Crew-10 mission will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying a staff of astronauts from NASA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Roscosmos. This marks the tenth operational crew rotation mission beneath NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. While the first focus stays on changing the ISS crew, the return of Williams and Wilmore has garnered vital consideration, particularly after Elon Musk hinted at potential political interference of their delayed return.
The SpaceX Crew-10 mission is scheduled for launch on March 12, 2025, at 7:48 PM ET (March 13, 5:18 AM IST). The liftoff will happen from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
NASA confirmed the launch timing in an official publish on its X (previously Twitter) deal with, stating:
“NASA’s @SpaceX #Crew10 mission is scheduled to send four new crew members to the @Space_Station at 7:48 PM ET (2348 UTC) on Wednesday, Mar. 12. Live coverage starts at 3:45 PM ET (1945 UTC)—watch with us here on X.”
For house lovers keen to watch the launch reside, NASA has offered a number of streaming choices:
The Crew-10 mission will transport 4 astronauts from NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos to the International Space Station (ISS) for a six-month mission centered on scientific analysis, expertise demonstrations, and house exploration experiments.
Crew-10 mission astronauts:
Crew-10 mission objectives:
Following liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will propel the Dragon spacecraft to a pace of 17,500 mph to attain orbit. After 24 hours, it’s going to dock autonomously with the ISS Harmony module. If mandatory, the crew can manually pilot the spacecraft.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore had been initially a part of Boeing’s Starliner crew, launched in June 2024 for a brief eight-day mission. However, the Starliner spacecraft encountered a number of technical failures, together with propulsion leaks and thruster malfunctions, stopping a protected return to Earth.
Due to these points, NASA prohibited Starliner from flying again till thorough security evaluations had been performed. Consequently, Williams and Wilmore have remained aboard the ISS for over eight months, counting on SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission for his or her long-overdue return.
Crew-10’s journey and ISS actions
Upon reaching the International Space Station, Crew-10 will:
The Crew-10 staff will journey aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft “Endurance”, which has efficiently accomplished three prior missions:
Once Crew-10 reaches the ISS, NASA officers will assess climate circumstances earlier than authorizing Williams and Wilmore’s return to Earth.