A SpaceX spacecraft carrying four astronauts has reached orbit and begun its journey to the International Space Station, NASA said this morning.
“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, upon launch. “Through these missions, we are laying the foundation for future exploration, from low Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars. Our international crew will contribute to innovative science research and technology development, delivering benefits to all humanity.”
The Crew-10 mission, commanded by NASA astronaut Anne McClain, lifted off aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and successfully opened its nosecone. The crew—NASA pilot Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov — will spend the next 28.5 hours traveling to the space station, where they are set to dock.
Transition-Rescue
Once aboard, the newly arrived astronauts will join NASA’s Crew-9 team for a brief transition period.
“Upon reaching the orbiting laboratory, the newly arrived crew will join NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9, who will familiarize them with ongoing science and station maintenance work, which supports a safe transition of operations aboard the space station,” NASA said in a statement.
The transition aboard the station will lead to the departure of Crew-9. NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will undock from the station and return to Earth. Their spacecraft is scheduled to splash down off the coast of Florida, pending weather conditions.
For Williams and Wilmore, this may seem less of a transition mission and more of a rescue. The astronauts were only expected to be on the ISS for just eight days, but their experimental spacecraft suffered unexpected technical issues and they have been onboard for more than nine months.
Crew-10 Leaders
McClain, who is making her second trip to the space station since becoming an astronaut in 2013, will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72 and 73. Ayers, selected in 2021, is on her first spaceflight and will also serve as a flight engineer. Onishi is making his second trip, while Peskov is on his first mission.
The Crew-10 mission is part of NASA’s commercial crew program, which partners with private companies like SpaceX to transport astronauts to and from the space station, NASA said in the statement. The program is aimed at reducing costs and maintaining a continuous human presence in orbit.
