Launch Details

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission lifted off on Friday evening at 7:03 p.m. ET, successfully departing from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission utilized a Falcon 9 rocket, which achieved a speed of 17,500 mph as it traveled into orbit.

Astronauts on Board

The Crew-10 team consists of four astronauts:

• Anne McClain, NASA astronaut and mission commander
• Nichole Ayers, NASA astronaut and mission pilot
• Takuya Onishi, astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
• Kirill Peskov, cosmonaut representing Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency

This mission marks a crucial step for NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are currently aboard the ISS and closer to their return journey.

Upcoming Operations

Docking with the ISS is slated for Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET, with the crew planning to enter the station at 1:05 a.m. ET on Sunday. The Crew-10 mission aims to conduct over 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations that will aid future deep-space exploration.

Launch Preparations and Previous Delays

The launch was initially scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed due to issues related to a support clamp arm on the Falcon 9. SpaceX reported that the hydraulic system problem was resolved, allowing for the successful launch scheduled for Friday.

Current ISS Crew and Context

Crew-10 will relieve Williams and Wilmore, who are part of the current ISS team but had an extended stay. Their initial mission, initially planned for a week, was prolonged to nearly nine months after NASA’s decision to bring the previously flown Boeing Starliner spacecraft back to earth without the two astronauts on board.

Since their arrival in June, both astronauts have participated in station research and maintenance, with Williams setting a record for the most time spent on spacewalks by a woman, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes.

Future Plans and Conclusions

NASA has emphasized that Williams and Wilmore were never stranded in space. The duo is scheduled to return home possibly as early as Wednesday when their Crew Dragon capsule, Endurance, will remain docked alongside the Soyuz spacecraft at the ISS.