After multiple delays, NASA and SpaceX are finally set to launch the Crew-10 mission tonight at 7:03 p.m. ET.
The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, is scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and head to the International Space Station (ISS), as reported by The Gateway Pundit.
This launch is more than just another routine mission—it’s a long-overdue relief effort for two astronauts who have been left in space far longer than originally planned.
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Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, the unfortunate participants in Boeing’s disastrous Starliner debut, have been stuck aboard the ISS since June 2024.
Their return has been repeatedly delayed, reportedly due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner and what some suggest were political delays orchestrated by the Biden administration.
Crew-10 marks the 10th operational crew rotation mission using SpaceX’s human spaceflight system.
The team heading to the ISS consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi from JAXA, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
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NASA’s blog confirmed the mission, stating:
“NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will fly to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket.”
But while this marks a significant milestone for SpaceX, it also serves as an embarrassing reminder of Boeing’s Starliner fiasco.
Wilmore and Williams originally launched on the Starliner for what was meant to be a short stay, but after several system failures and technical malfunctions, NASA had no choice but to send the capsule back to Earth unmanned in September.
The astronauts were forced to remain aboard the ISS for months, waiting for Crew-10’s launch.
While technical setbacks were the official reason given for the delays, recent reports have suggested that the prolonged mission might have been worsened by political considerations.
The Biden administration’s handling of NASA’s budget and priorities has raised concerns among experts, with some pointing to unnecessary bureaucratic holdups in getting Wilmore and Williams back home.
Targeting Friday, March 14 for a Falcon 9 launch of the Transporter-13 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E in California → https://t.co/afM5y8nBPg pic.twitter.com/9CFifLfp0G
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 13, 2025
Despite being stranded for months, Wilmore remained diplomatic about the situation, saying in September:
“Let down? Absolutely not. It’s never entered my mind. […] NASA does a great job of making a lot of things look easy. That’s just the way it goes. Sometimes because we are pushing the edges of the envelope in everything that we do.”
But let’s be honest—being left in orbit for months while bureaucrats bungle things on Earth is hardly what astronauts sign up for.
With tonight’s launch, SpaceX will once again prove itself as NASA’s most reliable partner, stepping in where Boeing and government bureaucracy have failed.
If all goes according to plan, Crew-10 will dock at the ISS, and Wilmore and Williams will finally return home aboard the Crew-9 capsule. One thing is certain—this mission is long overdue.
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