SpaceX's Crew-10 mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday, paving the way for the long-awaited return of two NASA astronauts who have been stranded in orbit for months. The SpaceX capsule arrived at the ISS at 12:05 a.m. EST on Sunday after launching from Florida on Friday.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, already stationed aboard the ISS, greeted the incoming crew in a extraterrestrial manner by wearing an alien mask as they arrived. The Falcon 9 rocket took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Friday night, carrying four new astronauts to the ISS while also preparing to bring back stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
End of a Long Wait
Williams and Wilmore were originally scheduled for an eight-day mission but have remained in orbit since June 5. SpaceX owner Elon Musk and others have suggested their extended stay on the ISS was politically motivated, though the astronauts themselves have denied these claims.
They are currently aboard the ISS alongside NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit, as well as Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Aleksandr Gorbunov.
All the hugs. 🫶
— NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) March 16, 2025
The hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft opened March 16 at 1:35 a.m. ET and the members of Crew-10 entered the @Space_Station with the rest of their excited Expedition 72 crew. pic.twitter.com/mnUddqPqfr
The newly arrived Crew-10 consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi, and Russia's Kirill Pesko.
After a journey lasting over 28 hours, their spacecraft docked with the ISS just after 12:04 a.m. ET on Sunday. Before opening the hatch, Wilmore performed thorough pressurization and leak-check procedures.
It is expected that Williams and Wilmore will be able to leave the ISS as early as Wednesday aboard the SpaceX Dragon Capsule, accompanied by Hague and Gorbunov, for their long-awaited return to Earth.
NASA's Nick Hague and Russia's Aleksandr Gorbunov will accompany Williams and Wilmore on their return journey to Earth. Meanwhile, the four newly arrived astronauts will spend the next few days acclimatizing themselves with the space station's operations.
The new crew is set to remain aboard the ISS for the standard six-month mission. Their arrival follows multiple delays in the relief mission, the latest being a last-minute cancellation on Wednesday due to a hydraulic system issue with the Falcon 9 rocket.
Happy End after Months-Long Ordeal
NASA expedited the return mission by two weeks after President Trump urged Elon Musk to "go get" Williams and Wilmore. Prior to the president's intervention, the astronauts were not scheduled to return before March 26.
"It's been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us," Williams said of her family.
The mission became a flashpoint during the election, with Trump and Musk alleging that the astronauts were deliberately left stranded in space for political reasons.
Musk claimed he had proposed bringing them back eight months ago, but the Biden administration rejected the idea, fearing it would benefit Trump in his presidential campaign against former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Crew-10 launch took place while Wilmore and Williams were asleep as part of their regular schedule aboard the station, according to Dina Contella, deputy manager of NASA's ISS program.
With their mission evolving into a standard NASA rotation on the ISS, Wilmore and Williams have spent their extended stay conducting scientific research and assisting with routine maintenance alongside the five other astronauts.
Earlier this month, Williams expressed excitement about returning home to reunite with her two dogs, her husband Michael, and her mother Bonnie.
Wilmore, meanwhile, has two teenage daughters with his wife, Deanna.
