SpaceX Crew 10 to Bring NASA Astronauts Home After 9 Months

The wait is finally over for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. After spending an unexpected nine months stranded on the International Space Station, their replacements aboard SpaceX Crew 10 launched Friday night. Now, they are just hours away from relief.

SpaceX’s latest mission is carrying four astronauts to the ISS, setting up a long-awaited crew swap. Once the new team arrives late Saturday night, Wilmore and Williams can finally prepare for their journey home. Their return, initially planned for last year, has been plagued by delays, technical failures, and bureaucratic battles.

SpaceX Crew 10: The New Team Replacing NASA’s Astronauts

Rocketing into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the SpaceX Crew 10 team consists of NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. All four are experienced pilots, tasked with continuing ISS operations after Wilmore and Williams leave.

The incoming crew will spend the next six months in space, conducting research, maintaining the station, and preparing for future deep-space missions. But first, they need to debrief with Wilmore and Williams, who will fill them in on station updates before heading home.

The Rescue Mission That Took Nine Months

Wilmore and Williams originally launched on June 5, 2023, as test pilots for Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. The plan was simple: a short test mission lasting about a week. Instead, helium leaks and thruster failures crippled their spacecraft, forcing them to remain at the ISS indefinitely.

NASA and Boeing investigated for months before deciding it was too risky to bring them back on Starliner. The agency opted to send them home on SpaceX, a move that caused further delays when SpaceX’s brand-new capsule required urgent battery repairs. To speed things up, NASA ultimately swapped in a used Dragon capsule, allowing Wilmore and Williams to return by mid-March instead of waiting even longer.

SpaceX Crew 10 Launch Faces Last-Minute Issues

Even the replacement crew’s launch faced hurdles. A hydraulics issue with one of the Falcon rocket’s support clamps delayed the first launch attempt on Wednesday. SpaceX had to flush out the system to remove trapped air before giving the green light for Friday’s successful liftoff.

Trump and Musk Weigh In on SpaceX Crew 10 Mission

The lengthy delay of Wilmore and Williams’ return became a political flashpoint earlier this year. President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk both criticized the previous administration, claiming red tape had slowed efforts to bring the astronauts home. In response, NASA maintained that safety concerns were the real reason for the extended mission.

Wilmore and Williams Kept the ISS Running

Despite their unexpected stay, Wilmore and Williams have remained active aboard the ISS. They repaired a broken toilet, maintained scientific experiments, and even conducted a spacewalk together. Williams, now a veteran of nine spacewalks, has set a new record for women with the most total time spent outside a spacecraft.

Families Eager for Their Return

While the astronauts have handled their extended mission professionally, their families have struggled. Wilmore’s wife and two daughters and Williams’ husband and mother have spent months waiting for their return.

Wilmore, a church elder, is looking forward to returning to in-person ministry. Williams, meanwhile, is eager to walk her two Labrador retrievers again. Both expressed gratitude for the support they have received throughout their ordeal.

“This mission has brought a little attention,” Williams said in an interview. “The good part is that more people are becoming interested in space exploration.”

What Happens Next

SpaceX Crew 10 is expected to dock late Saturday night, setting the stage for Wilmore and Williams’ return next week. If all goes as planned, their Dragon capsule will undock and splash down off the Florida coast, finally bringing them home after an unexpectedly long stay in space.

NASA and SpaceX will continue refining their crew transport strategies to ensure that future missions do not face similar disruptions. But for now, Wilmore and Williams are just days away from touching Earth once again.

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