NASA’s Crew-10 mission successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday morning, paving the way for the long-delayed return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying four astronauts, arrived at the ISS at 9:40 AM IST following an accelerated schedule designed to facilitate the handover process. The newly arrived team comprises NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov.

The mission’s arrival brings the total number of crew members on the space station to 11, before the scheduled departure of Crew-9 astronauts, including Williams, Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Extended stay and technical setbacks

For Williams and Wilmore, this marks the conclusion of an unexpectedly prolonged stay in orbit. The two astronauts originally launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule on June 5, 2024, as part of a short-duration test flight. However, technical malfunctions—including helium leaks and thruster failures—rendered the spacecraft unsafe for their return.

NASA and Boeing conducted an extensive investigation into the anomalies, ultimately opting to send Starliner back to Earth without a crew. The delays forced Williams and Wilmore to remain aboard the ISS for several months longer than planned.

NASA had initially arranged for the duo to return on a SpaceX flight. However, additional setbacks, including battery repairs on the newly assigned Dragon capsule, further delayed their departure until mid-March. To expedite their return, the agency ultimately opted to use a previously flown Dragon capsule for Crew-10’s launch.

Political repercussions

The prolonged mission became a subject of political debate in the United States, with former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk weighing in on the delays. Trump blamed NASA’s operational setbacks on the previous administration, while Musk expressed concerns over Starliner’s performance.

With Crew-10 now aboard the ISS, NASA officials anticipate a swift handover period before Williams, Wilmore, and their colleagues begin preparations for their return to Earth. The mission marks a crucial milestone in NASA’s ongoing reliance on commercial spaceflight partners, with b