Crew-10 Mission to Return Stranded ISS NASA Astronauts Set for Launch Wednesday Night From KSC

NASA and SpaceX will launch mission to ISS Wednesy at 7:48 p.m. EST

BREVARD COUNTY • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA – Two NASA astronauts who embarked on what was supposed to be a brief 10-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft are now set to return home after an unexpected nine-month stay in space.

NASA has confirmed that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will depart the International Space Station (ISS) on March 16, following the arrival of their replacement crew.

The prolonged mission began on June 5, 2024, when Wilmore and Williams launched on Starliner’s Crewed Flight Test.

However, technical issues with their spacecraft led to NASA making the decision to send Starliner back to Earth without them. This left the astronauts aboard the ISS for an extended stay, during which they adapted to the station’s ongoing research and operations.

To facilitate their return, NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 7:48 p.m. EST (23:48 UTC).

The mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County. The Crew-10 mission is slated for a 150-day stay aboard the ISS, during which it will contribute to Expeditions 72 and 73.

The crew will travel aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft “Endurance” (serial number C210), which is making its fourth flight. Endurance previously supported the Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 missions.

Originally, Crew-10 was to debut a new Crew Dragon capsule. However, to expedite the mission and facilitate the timely return of current ISS astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, NASA and SpaceX opted to reuse “Endurance.”

This decision advanced the launch schedule, allowing Wilmore and Williams, who have been on the ISS since June 2024 due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and, some say, political reasons, to return to Earth sooner.

The Crew-10 team, consisting of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, will travel to the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, Endurance.

This spacecraft, already proven on previous missions, was selected after delays in constructing a new Crew Dragon due to battery-related issues.

Upon Crew-10’s arrival, Wilmore and Williams will board the Crew-9 Dragon capsule alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov for their long-awaited journey back to Earth. This transition is expected to take place swiftly, with Crew-10 overlapping with Crew-9 for only a few days.

Reflecting on the significance of international collaboration in space exploration, McClain highlighted the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz mission, emphasizing the importance of global partnerships in space endeavors.

As the ISS transitions from Expedition 72 to Expedition 73, Williams has officially passed command to cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who will later hand over the role to Onishi after Crew-10’s arrival.

With the final steps in place, Wilmore and Williams are now just days away from completing an unplanned yet historic, long-duration mission.

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