A significant milestone has been reached in space exploration as a SpaceX capsule, carrying a new crew of four astronauts, has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS). This development paves the way for the return of two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the ISS for over nine months. The Crew-10 mission, as it is known, marks a crucial step in the ongoing collaboration between space agencies and private companies like SpaceX in facilitating crew rotations and ensuring the continued operation of the ISS.
The Crew Dragon capsule, which was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 14, at approximately 7:03 PM ET, traveled for about 29 hours before docking at the ISS at 12:04 AM ET on Sunday. On board the capsule were four new astronauts who will join the existing crew of seven, including Wilmore and Williams, who have been awaiting their return journey since their initial arrival over nine months ago. Their prolonged stay was due to issues with the Starliner capsule, operated by Boeing, which was intended to bring them back to Earth but experienced technical difficulties.
The successful docking of the Crew Dragon capsule with the ISS is a welcome development, particularly for Wilmore and Williams, who are now set to return to Earth. Their departure from the ISS is scheduled for as early as 4:00 AM ET on Wednesday, March 19, aboard the same Crew Dragon capsule that brought the new crew. They will be accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbatko, who have been on the ISS since September 2024.
The return journey for Wilmore! and Williams has been a long time coming, with the Crew-10 mission marking the first step in their homeward bound journey. The Crew Dragon capsule that will take them back to Earth has been docked at the ISS since September, awaiting the arrival of the new crew, and is now ready to undertake its return mission. According to Reuters, the successful execution of this mission is a testament to the growing capabilities of commercial spaceflight companies like SpaceX in supporting ISS operations.
For more information on this and other developments in space exploration, please visit the Reuters website.