NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission successfully launched on Friday at 7:03 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission carries four crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) for a long-duration science expedition, according to a SpaceX statement.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The spacecraft is set to dock autonomously with the forward-facing port of the Harmony module at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15.
Following docking, the Crew-10 astronauts will join Expedition 72/73 and begin their stay aboard the ISS. “Congratulations to our NASA and SpaceX teams on the 10th crew rotation mission under our commercial crew partnership. This milestone demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to advancing American leadership in space and driving growth in our national space economy,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro.
During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, will monitor the spacecraft’s automatic maneuvers. Meanwhile, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will oversee ISS operations. NASA’s live coverage will resume at 9:45 p.m. on March 15, broadcasting the spacecraft’s rendezvous, docking, and hatch opening.
Once the crew enters the ISS, they will change out of their spacesuits and prepare for cargo offloading. NASA will broadcast welcome remarks from Crew-10 and farewell remarks from the departing Crew-9 astronauts at approximately 1:40 a.m. on March 16.
With Crew-10’s arrival, the ISS crew count will temporarily rise to 11. Crew-9 astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are scheduled to return to Earth no earlier than Wednesday, March 19. Before their departure, mission teams will assess weather conditions at the designated splashdown sites off Florida’s coast.
During their mission, Crew-10 will conduct material flammability tests to aid future spacecraft designs, engage with students through the ISS Ham Radio program, and test backup lunar navigation technology. One crew member will participate in an integrated study to examine physiological and psychological changes in the human body, contributing valuable insights for deep-space missions.
The ISS has supported continuous human presence for more than 24 years, serving as a hub for scientific research and technology development. Research conducted aboard benefits life on Earth and informs future missions, including NASA’s Artemis campaign for lunar exploration.
Anne McClain, the Crew-10 commander, is making her second trip to the ISS since becoming an astronaut in 2013. Nichole Ayers, the mission’s pilot, is on her first spaceflight. Takuya Onishi, a mission specialist, is returning for his second flight, while Kirill Peskov, also a mission specialist, is making his first journey to space.
NASA continues to expand human space exploration through international collaboration and cutting-edge research, laying the groundwork for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
