NASA and SpaceX launched the Crew-10 mission to bring back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June last year. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon spacecraft, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Williams and Wilmore were stuck on the ISS after their original ride, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, had technical problems during its first crewed flight. NASA deemed the Starliner unsafe for their return, leading to delays in their journey back to Earth.
Along with this mission, the Crew-10 launch also sent four astronauts into space: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The plan is for Crew-10 to dock with the ISS on March 15, after which Crew-9, including Williams and Wilmore, will return to Earth a few days later.
However, the situation has become controversial. Former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have claimed that President Joe Biden delayed their return on purpose. This claim sparked debate, but Musk provided no evidence.
SpaceX originally planned for Williams and Wilmore to return with Crew-9, which launched in September with only two astronauts instead of four, leaving room for them. When Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen pointed this out on social media, Musk insulted him. Some retired astronauts defended Mogensen, while Wilmore seemed to support Musk, saying his statements were likely “factual,” though he had no proof.
Trump also made unusual comments, referring to Williams as “the woman with the wild hair” and speculating about her relationship with Wilmore. His remarks added to the controversy surrounding their return.
Now, after months of waiting, Williams and Wilmore are finally set to come home.
