SpaceX has launched Crew-10 to the ISS, to replace two NASA astronauts who were stranded for nine months due to technical failures in Starliner capsule.
Two NASA astronauts could not depart the International Space Station for nine months before the launch of Crew-10 by SpaceX due to technical problems with Boeing's Starliner aircraft.
NASA and SpaceX launched the Crew-10 mission, which delivered a fresh crew to the International Space Station (ISS) to rescue two astronauts stuck in orbit for almost nine months. In the early hours of March 16 at 1:35 a.m. ET, the hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft opened, marking the arrival of Crew-10 at the International Space Station (ISS).
Their arrival will enable NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded owing to a spaceship problem, to at last go home.
NASA Astronauts Left Behind Originally launched to the ISS in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on 5 June 2024 for a one-week test voyage, Wilmore and Williams were from June 2024. Technical problems, however, caused NASA to postpone their return, prolonging their time on the station. Safety issues finally drove NASA to decide to return the Starliner empty-handed.
The delayed homecoming has affected two other crew members—NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—who are now scheduled to return to Earth alongside Wilmore and Williams next week.
SpaceX's vital contribution to ISS missions
NASA's crewed trips to the International Space Station rely only on SpaceX's Crew Dragon as their means of conveyance. Conversely, Boeing's Starliner program shows dependability problems with delays and faults. For SpaceX, Crew-10 marks yet another turning point highlighting its responsibility to preserve astronaut rotations and International Space Station (ISS) operations.
NASA is evaluating the future of commercial crew transportation as the Crew-10 team prepares for their flight; Boeing is trying to fix Starliner's technical problems before its next planned mission.
