NASA and SpaceX successfully launched a fresh crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, paving the way for stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to return home after an extended nine-month stay. The Crew-10 mission lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 4:33 AM IST after a brief delay due to a hydraulic system issue.
The newly deployed Crew-10 team consists of four astronauts: NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. This mission marks the 10th crew rotation under SpaceX’s human spaceflight program and the 11th crewed flight to the ISS through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Stranded Astronauts Set for Return
Veteran astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been aboard the ISS since June 2024, far exceeding their intended eight-day mission due to a Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunction. Initially scheduled to return in February 2025, multiple delays extended their stay. NASA has now confirmed that the two astronauts will return to Earth within days following the Crew-10 launch.
Political Controversy Over Delays
The prolonged mission has become a subject of political debate. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have claimed that the Biden administration intentionally delayed the astronauts’ return. Musk, without providing specific details, alleged that the White House rejected an earlier plan to bring them back, triggering backlash within the space community.
Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen highlighted the delay on social media, prompting an aggressive response from Musk, who used a derogatory term. While some retired astronauts defended Mogensen, Wilmore appeared to support Musk, stating that his comments “must have been factual,” though he admitted not knowing the full details.
Meanwhile, Trump made controversial remarks about Williams, referring to her as “the woman with the wild hair” and speculating on her dynamic with Wilmore, drawing criticism for his lack of respect towards the decorated former naval captain.
The Road Ahead
With Crew-10 now safely on its way to the ISS, NASA officials are focusing on finalizing plans for Williams and Wilmore’s long-overdue homecoming. The mission underscores the challenges of human spaceflight, highlighting the importance of reliability in spacecraft systems and the geopolitical undertones that can emerge even in scientific endeavors.
As the Crew-10 mission progresses, the world awaits the long-anticipated return of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, marking the resolution of a prolonged and eventful space mission.
