SpaceX Crew-10 successfully docks at ISS to replace stranded astronauts

Guwahati: The SpaceX Crew-10 mission successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday morning, bringing replacements for NASA’s two astronauts stranded in space for months.

NASA and SpaceX launched Crew-10 to return astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been stuck in orbit since June. The SpaceX capsule docked at the ISS at 12:05 a.m. EST Sunday after launching from Florida on Friday.

The four new crew members, representing the U.S., Japan, and Russia, will spend the next few days learning the station's operations from Williams and Wilmore. Later this week, the two astronauts will board their own SpaceX capsule, which has docked at the ISS since last year, to conclude their extended mission that began last June.

After a 28-hour journey, Wilmore opened the hatch to the ISS, ringing the ship's bell as the newcomers floated in one by one, greeted with hugs and handshakes. Williams smiled and captured the moment with photos of her crewmates.

Earlier this month, Wilmore and Williams marked nine months in space. A malfunction with the Boeing Starliner capsule led NASA to send it back empty, leaving the astronauts behind to wait for a SpaceX flight.

NASA later included them in plans to return after Crew-9's arrival, which consisted of American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov in August. However, NASA canceled that plan due to the lack of an emergency escape pod for those remaining on the ISS.

Now, Williams and Wilmore will join Crew-9 in their journey home. SpaceX founder Elon Musk confirmed Saturday that they would begin their return flight in the coming days.

SpaceX initially set Crew-10’s launch for Wednesday but delayed it due to an issue with a ground support clamp arm.

Once docked, Crew-10 astronauts will officially join Expedition 72, taking over responsibilities from the departing crew. SpaceX confirmed the Falcon 9 first-stage booster successfully landed, marking the 400th time it has done so.

Williams officially handed over ISS command to Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who will lead operations for the next six months. Crew-10 astronauts are expected to arrive at the ISS on Saturday, March 15, at 11:30 p.m. ET. Williams and Wilmore, along with Hague and Gorbunov, will depart on March 19, according to NASA.