SpaceX Crew-10 Arrives at ISS to Bring Stranded Astronauts Home

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday, completing a 29-hour journey from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Crew-10 mission, which launched Friday at 7:03 p.m. ET, carries four astronauts on a routine rotation but also plays a crucial role in bringing home NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the ISS for nine months.

Wilmore and Williams were left aboard the station after issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule forced NASA to return it empty. Their return has been delayed for months, but with Crew-10 now aboard, they are scheduled to depart Wednesday at 4 a.m. ET, alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The Crew Dragon they will use has been docked at the ISS since September, prepared for this moment.

The Crew-10 team, set to remain on the ISS for six months, includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Their arrival was welcomed by the seven-member crew already on board.

The mission has sparked political controversy, with President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claiming, without evidence, that the previous administration delayed Wilmore and Williams' return. Meanwhile, the two astronauts have continued scientific research and station maintenance.

Williams expressed excitement about reuniting with her family and two dogs, calling the extended mission a "roller coaster" for loved ones. With the long-awaited return now set, their journey back to Earth will finally bring closure to an unexpected spaceflight extension.