SpaceX Crew-10 Successfully Arrives at the International Space Station

Crew 10 Docked in the Dragon Capsule at the ISS. Photo Credit: NASA

In the early hours of March 16, 2025, NASA’s Crew-10 mission successfully docked with the International Space Station, marking another milestone in SpaceX’s ongoing partnership with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 14 at 7:03 p.m. EDT aboard the Crew Dragon Endurance, with a crew consisting of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Following a smooth 26-hour orbital journey, the spacecraft gently latched onto the ISS’s forward-facing Harmony module at 12:04 a.m. EDT.

Once securely docked, the crew completed routine leak checks before opening the hatch at 1:35 a.m., officially joining the seven astronauts already aboard as part of Expedition 72.

Commander McClain expressed the crew’s excitement during initial communications, saying, “I cannot tell you the immense joy of our crew when we looked out the window and saw the space station for the first time.” Onishi added that it was a great honor to be part of the mission and that the team was looking forward to the work ahead.

The successful arrival of Crew-10 helps set the stage for the return of the Crew-9 astronauts, including Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been aboard the station since a troubled test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The Starliner capsule, which experienced multiple technical issues including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, was ultimately deemed unfit for crewed return, extending Wilmore and Williams’ mission beyond its original timeline. Their return, now expected as early as Tuesday, will mark the end of a nearly 300-day stay in orbit.

The Crew-10 launch itself faced minor hurdles earlier in the week. A previous liftoff attempt on March 12 was scrubbed due to a hydraulic issue with a ground support clamp arm. The problem was isolated to the launch pad’s support equipment and did not affect the spacecraft or crew. Engineers quickly resolved the issue, allowing for a clean launch on the next available window two days later.

With their arrival, the Crew-10 astronauts will spend approximately six months aboard the ISS, supporting ongoing science experiments, maintenance operations, and international research initiatives. Their mission is expected to overlap with the upcoming Crew-11 rotation, continuing NASA’s approach to seamless transitions aboard the orbiting laboratory. As Crew Dragon Endurance remains docked, the four-person team will play a vital role in ensuring the station’s continued operation and scientific output, reinforcing the growing reliability of commercial partnerships in sustaining human presence in space.