Title: “Witness the Launch of SpaceX’s First Crew Mission in Six Months”
SpaceX is on the brink of embarking on its initial crew launch after a gap of six months. The space exploration company has Wednesday, March 12, in its sights for the launch of Crew-10 from the Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center situated in Florida.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft is set to transport NASA astronauts Anne McClain, the commander, and Nichole Ayers, the pilot, along with mission specialists Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Kirill Peskov, a Roscosmos cosmonaut. Their destination is the International Space Station (ISS), where they are slated to stay and work for approximately four months.
This mission marks the 10th crew rotation and the 11th human spaceflight to the space station, facilitated by the Crew Dragon spacecraft since 2020. This is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
How to Tune In
SpaceX has scheduled the launch of Crew-10 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for 7:48 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 12.
Interested viewers can catch the event live on NASA’s official website or on SpaceX’s X account.
For those wanting to follow the pre-launch preparations, NASA will begin coverage at 3:45 p.m. ET.
What to Look Forward To
Early birds who tune in will have the chance to watch the astronauts journey towards the rocket and secure their places inside the Crew Dragon. They will also witness the Falcon 9 rocket propel the astronaut-filled capsule into orbit. The launch will be broadcast from multiple perspectives using cameras on the ground, attached to the rocket, and within the capsule.
The crew is anticipated to dock with the ISS around 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 13. This segment of the mission, along with the moment the crew step into the space station at roughly 11:45 a.m. ET, will also be live-streamed by NASA.
As with any mission, the timetable is subject to change. We will continue to update this article with any modifications to the current plan.
The last time NASA and SpaceX sent astronauts to the ISS was in September 2024 with the Crew-9 mission. This flight transported two crew members instead of the usual four as two seats were reserved for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. These astronauts had previously journeyed to the ISS on the Starliner spacecraft the previous year but had to extend their stay due to complications with the Starliner, which returned to Earth unmanned. Wilmore and Williams are projected to return to Earth in the coming weeks.
