Sunita Williams set to return to Earth as SpaceX successfully launches its Crew-10 mission to ISS
PTC Web Desk: SpaceX successfully launched its Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, marking a key milestone in NASA's ongoing crew rotation efforts and setting the stage for astronaut Sunita Williams' long-awaited return to Earth.
The launch, initially postponed due to technical difficulties and unfavourable weather conditions, finally took place on March 15 at 4:33 am IST from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. A Falcon 9 rocket carried the Crew Dragon capsule into orbit, transporting four astronauts who will replace the outgoing Crew-9 team aboard the ISS.
The Crew-10 mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme, comprises: Anne McClain (NASA); Nichole Ayers (NASA); Takuya Onishi (JAXA, Japan) and Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos, Russia). Upon arrival at the ISS, the Crew-10 team will relieve the current Crew-9 members, which include: Sunita Williams (NASA), Butch Wilmore (NASA), Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos, Russia).
Astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore have been on an extended mission at the ISS after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which ferried them in June 2024, experienced technical setbacks. With Crew-10 now en route, Crew-9 is scheduled to return no earlier than March 19, pending suitable weather conditions for a safe splashdown off the Florida coast.
- With inputs from agencies
