SpaceX successfully launched its Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday morning. This mission will finally bring NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth. They have been stranded in space for nine months since June last year.

Crew-10 Replaces Crew-9

Meanwhile, four new astronauts will replace Crew-9, including Williams and Wilmore. The Crew-10 team includes Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov from Russia, Pilot Nichole Ayers and Commander Anne McClain from NASA, and Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi from Japan’s JAXA.

Delays and Launch Challenges

However, the launch did not happen smoothly at first. Earlier in the week, SpaceX had to postpone it due to technical issues and strong winds. Finally, after overcoming these challenges, the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida at 7:03 PM ET (4:33 AM IST) on Saturday.

Why Williams and Wilmore Got Stuck

Unfortunately, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were stranded because their return spacecraft failed. They traveled on Boeing’s Starliner for its first crewed flight. But soon after, the spacecraft developed propulsion problems, making it unsafe for the journey back to Earth.

Political Controversy Surrounding the Mission

As the mission gained global attention, it also sparked political debate. US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk promised to speed up the astronauts’ return. Furthermore, Trump blamed President Joe Biden’s administration for the delay.