Historic Homecoming: SpaceX Crew-10 Rescues Stranded Astronauts Sunita Williams & Butch Willmore After 9 Months in Orbit

NewSpaceX and NASA successfully launched a space mission to bring back stranded US astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS). The officials confirmed that the launch took place on Saturday, with a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft on board. This marks a major step towards their return to Earth after nearly nine months of being stranded in space.

As part of the mission, four scientists, including NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, were also sent to the ISS by the authorities. The planned launch was postponed due to technical problems and inclement weather earlier in the week.

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The Crew-10 astronauts, consisting of Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, are set to take over the current crew on the ISS. The team currently occupying the ISS, known as Crew-9, is expected to leave on Wednesday and touch down on Florida's coast (weather permitting). Technical difficulties with their mode of transportation, the Boeing Starlink spacecraft they boarded in June 2024, have left the space scientists stranded at the ISS.

Blastoff! NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 launches to space station, booster lands in Florida

On Friday, Fox News reported that US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth posted a video message on social media to show his support for the crew. In the video, shared on X, Hegseth mentioned that everyone is eagerly anticipating the return of the stranded scientists.

Hegseth expressed his support for the astronauts by saying, "We are praying for you and wish you Godspeed. We eagerly await your safe return home." He also mentioned President Trump's urgency for the astronauts' return, stating that Elon Musk is responding to his request. According to officials, this mission not only brings back the stranded scientists but also sets the foundation for future space exploration efforts.