Tech Desk 
Mar 16, 2025
NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-10 mission, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and setting the stage for the long-awaited return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
The two astronauts have been stranded on the ISS for nine months after arriving aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June 2024. Their return, scheduled for Wednesday, comes after months of delays, political scrutiny, and logistical challenges, marking a critical milestone in NASA’s human spaceflight programme.
When will NASA astronauts return?
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, carrying Crew-10 astronauts who will replace the current team. Wilmore and Williams, along with NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, are scheduled to return to Earth on Wednesday at 4am ET aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Crew-10 consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The mission commander McClain emphasised the importance of global collaboration in space exploration. She introduced a plush origami crane as the mission’s microgravity indicator, symbolising “peace, hope, and healing.”
The return of Wilmore and Williams became a political issue, with former US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk accusing NASA of delaying their return for political reasons.
However, NASA officials clarified that the delay was due to staffing needs on the ISS and logistical challenges. Wilmore assured that they had been well-prepared for an extended stay, continuing their scientific research and maintenance work.
