Elon Musk’s SpaceX gears up for mission to bring Sunita Williams back to Earth: Check launch date and mission details

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to launch the highly anticipated Crew-10 mission, a critical step in ensuring the return of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Barry “Butch” Wilmore after an unexpectedly extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally, Williams and Wilmore were expected to stay for just eight days following their launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in 2024. However, technical failures with the Starliner delayed their return for over eight months.
Now, with the Crew-10 mission scheduled for March 12, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX aims to send a new team of astronauts to the ISS, allowing Williams and Wilmore to finally return home. Their prolonged stay has garnered political attention, with claims and counterclaims about the reasons behind their delay. However, NASA officials have assured that safety, rather than politics, dictated their extended mission.



The Crew Dragon “Endurance” has successfully flown on previous missions such as Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 and will now embark on another mission to transport four astronauts to the ISS.

The Crew-10 team consists of four astronauts representing NASA, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Roscosmos:

Upon arrival at the ISS, Crew-10 will replace the current team and participate in scientific experiments, maintenance work, and preparations for future missions.

Mission background
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were originally part of Boeing’s Starliner crew, launched in June 2024 for a brief eight-day mission. However, the Starliner spacecraft encountered multiple technical failures, including:

These issues made the spacecraft unsafe for re-entry, forcing NASA to delay their return indefinitely while troubleshooting continued. Williams and Wilmore have now been on the ISS for over eight months, far beyond their planned mission duration.

With Boeing’s Starliner still grounded due to ongoing safety concerns, NASA made the decision to return Williams and Wilmore on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft instead. This decision highlights:

NASA confirmed that Williams and Wilmore are expected to return between March 19 and 20, 2025, aboard Crew Dragon once the Crew-10 team has settled in on the ISS.

The extended stay of Williams and Wilmore has sparked political debates in the U.S.

NASA officials also emphasized that decisions regarding astronaut safety are based on engineering and safety assessments, not political influence.

Crew-10’s arrival and handover

Williams and Wilmore’s return to Earth

Upon their return, NASA will debrief the astronauts, conduct medical evaluations, and analyze the effects of their unexpectedly prolonged stay in microgravity.