NASA Astronauts One Step Closer to Home After SpaceX Crew-Swap Launch
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have spent the past nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), are finally one step closer to returning home, following the successful launch of SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission on Friday, March 14, 2025. The mission marks a significant milestone in the efforts to bring the two astronauts back to Earth after an extended stay on the orbital laboratory.
The Crew-10 mission, launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at 7:03 p.m. ET (2303 GMT) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carried a team of four astronauts who are set to replace Wilmore and Williams. These two seasoned NASA astronauts and retired U.S. Navy test pilots were originally scheduled to return months ago but remained on the ISS due to delays caused by various technical issues and the necessity of maintaining a full crew aboard the station.
The Launch and Plans for Return
The Crew-10 flight is part of NASA’s routine crew rotation, but for Wilmore and Williams, it represents the first step in their long-awaited return to Earth. The mission, which was brought forward in part due to pressure from political figures like President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has now become a critical part of the plan to bring them home.
Following Crew-10’s arrival at the ISS on Saturday, March 15 at 11:30 p.m. ET, Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to depart the space station on Wednesday, March 19, as early as 4 a.m. ET (0800 GMT). They will return to Earth alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who flew to the ISS in September, leaving two empty seats for the delayed astronauts.
Political Pressure and Delays
The unusual delay of Wilmore and Williams’ return has garnered political attention. President Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk both publicly criticized NASA’s timeline, with Musk even suggesting that former President Joe Biden’s administration was responsible for the extended stay due to political reasons, though no evidence was provided to support this claim. Trump’s intervention led to an expedited Crew-10 mission, which had initially been scheduled for March 26.
Despite the political pressures, Wilmore and Williams maintained that their extended stay aboard the ISS was not influenced by politics. “We came prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short,” Wilmore said in a recent space call. “That’s what human spaceflight is all about—planning for the unexpected.”
Crew-10: A New Team for the ISS
The Crew-10 astronauts will remain on the ISS for roughly six months. The team includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. McClain, who serves as the mission commander, marked the launch’s success with a symbolic gesture, introducing an origami crane as the mission’s microgravity indicator. The crane, representing peace, hope, and healing, reflects the spirit of international collaboration that has defined space exploration.
In her message from space, McClain emphasized the importance of building partnerships and relationships, noting, “It is far easier to be enemies than it is to be friends, it’s easier to break partnerships than it is to build them.”
A Streamlined Process Amid Safety Concerns
The Crew-10 mission, while routine in terms of crew rotations, faced some unique challenges due to its expedited schedule. NASA was forced to adjust its typical pre-launch procedures, working closely with SpaceX to ensure the mission’s safety despite some last-minute concerns, such as a fuel leak on a previous Falcon 9 launch and issues with the Dragon capsule’s thrusters. “It’s been an unusual flow in many respects,” said NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich.
Ken Bowersox, NASA’s space operations chief, acknowledged the difficulties in keeping up with SpaceX’s fast-paced development, stating, “We’re not quite as agile as they are, but we’re working well together.”
Looking Forward: Wilmore and Williams’ Return
For Wilmore and Williams, who have been conducting scientific research and routine maintenance with the station’s crew, the end of their mission is near. Williams expressed her excitement about returning home to her family and dogs, acknowledging that the extended stay had been as much of a challenge for her loved ones as it had been for the astronauts themselves.
“Spaceflight is hard, and success depends on leaders of character who choose a harder right over the easier wrong,” McClain concluded during her live-streamed communications from the Crew Dragon capsule. “We explore for the benefit of all.”
As the Crew-10 mission proceeds and the ISS team settles into their new roles, attention will shift to the return of Wilmore and Williams, who are set to make their way back to Earth after what has been a historic and extended mission in space. Their safe return will mark the end of a challenging chapter for both astronauts, NASA, and the space exploration community.
Stay tuned for updates as we follow the final stages of their return.
