NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are part of the Crew 9 mission, will stay longer on the International Space Station (ISS) because the launch of SpaceX Crew 10 has been pushed back to late March 2025. Crew 10 was originally set for February 2025. This delay means that Williams and Wilmore will remain on the ISS until their replacements arrive.
Here’s why NASA delayed the Crew 10 launch: They want more time to prepare the new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Safety is the top priority, and NASA believes waiting for the fully ready Dragon capsule will make the mission safer and more effective.
Crew 9 was supposed to use Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but due to some technical problems, NASA switched to SpaceX’s Dragon. Crew 10 will also use a new Dragon spacecraft, which needs more preparation time. NASA decided that this new capsule is the best option for the mission.
Crew 10 includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Their launch delay affects when Williams and Wilmore can come home, as they need to stay on the ISS until Crew 10 arrives. NASA likes to have astronauts overlap in their assignments to keep the ISS running smoothly and to make sure research and maintenance continue without a break.
Even though they’re staying longer, Williams and Wilmore are busy with their work on the ISS, including spacewalks and fixing things on the station. Williams mentioned she wants to get back home but knows there’s still a lot to do in space. Crew 9 is staying focused on their tasks while waiting for Crew 10 to join them and help bring them back to Earth.
Leave a Reply