The jointly launched Crew-10 mission by NASA and SpaceX is set to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) today, March 16th.
New Delhi: NASA and SpaceX successfully launched a crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday. This mission is to retrieve NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in space since last June. The Dragon spacecraft launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:03 PM ET (4:33 AM IST on Saturday). Today (March 16th), NASA's Crew-10 mission will dock with the space station, following which Sunita Williams will deliver a farewell message.
Crew-10 Mission Launch and ISS Docking Procedure
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the ISS in June 2024 through a joint effort by NASA and Boeing. This was intended to be an eight-day mission, but due to technical issues, Boeing's Starliner capsule was deemed unsafe for return, forcing their extended stay in space. The Crew-10 mission successfully launched on March 15th from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The spacecraft will dock with the ISS after a 28.5-hour journey, facilitating the arrival of the new team and paving the way for the return of the current Crew-9 team. This mission will deliver NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Kirill Pisklov from the Russian space agency Roscosmos to the ISS.
A Special Farewell, Then the Return Challenge
After the successful docking of Crew-10 with the ISS, Sunita Williams will deliver an emotional farewell message. Following this, the Crew-9 team, including Sunita and Wilmore, will return to Earth. Their return is scheduled for March 20th. During their return, Sunita and her colleague will face various physical challenges due to the impact of nine months in weightlessness on their muscles and bones.
Sunita mentioned that her first priority upon returning would be to see her two dogs. However, she will require specialized care and exercise to restore her body to its normal condition after returning from space. Everything from walking to diet will need careful consideration.
Boeing Starliner Mission Failure and Future Plans
Technical flaws in the Boeing Starliner led to significant delays in this mission. Learning from this experience, NASA plans to implement improved safety measures in its future space missions. Strategies are being developed to send more effective and safer spacecraft to the ISS in the coming years.
