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SpaceX Prepares to Launch Crew-10 to Replace Stranded ISS Astronauts

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, stuck on the ISS for nine months due to a spacecraft issue, are set to return after Crew-10's arrival.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is prepared for launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday.
(L/R) Crew-10 mission Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain and JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building en route to launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on March 12, 2025. Crew-10 will conduct new scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and perform technology demonstrations and maintenance activities aboard the International Space Station microgravity laboratory. (Photo by Gregg Newton / AFP) (Photo by GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images)
This image provided by NASA shows four astronauts completing a countdown dress rehearsal on March 9, 20295, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ahead of their planned SpaceX launch. From left, Russia's Kirill Peskov, NASA's Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain, and Japan's Takuta Onishi.

Overview

  • The Crew-10 mission, carrying four international astronauts, is scheduled to launch Friday at 7:03 p.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
  • Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been on the ISS since June 2024 following propulsion issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which was deemed unsafe for their return.
  • The extended stay of the two NASA astronauts, initially planned for just days, has garnered public attention and political commentary.
  • Crew-10's arrival will allow Crew-9, including Williams and Wilmore, to return to Earth, with their departure tentatively planned for March 19.
  • SpaceX resolved a technical issue with ground systems earlier this week, clearing the way for the Falcon 9 rocket to proceed with the launch.