NASA is preparing to launch the SpaceX Crew-10 mission tonight, which will bring much-needed relief to astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months. The Dragon spacecraft, launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is scheduled to dock with the ISS at around 6:00 AM ET on March 13th, providing a safe ride home for the astronauts.

The Boeing Starliner mission, which launched on June 5th, 2024, was initially intended to be an eight-day mission. However, issues with thruster failures and helium leaks made it unsafe for the astronauts to return to Earth using the Starliner. As a result, NASA has had to rely on SpaceX's Crew-10 mission to bring the astronauts home.

The Crew-10 mission includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, as well as JAXA mission specialist Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The crew will spend several months aboard the ISS conducting experiments, research, and performing spacewalks. Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams will return to Earth on the Crew-9 capsule, tentatively scheduled for March 16th, 2025, along with two astronauts from the mission that launched to the ISS on September 28th, 2024.

The Starliner's troubles began in August 2024, when NASA announced that it would bring the spacecraft back to Earth uncrewed due to uncertainty surrounding the prediction of the thrusters. Since then, the agency has been working to find a solution to bring the stranded astronauts home safely. The decision to use SpaceX's Crew-10 mission marks a significant shift in NASA's plans, highlighting the importance of having multiple options for crewed space missions.

The launch of Crew-10 comes after a series of setbacks for SpaceX, including the pause of Falcon 9 flights following issues with the rocket's second stage during the Crew-9 launch. However, with favorable weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A, NASA is confident that the mission will proceed as planned.

As the space agency continues to work towards establishing a sustainable human presence in space, the successful execution of the Crew-10 mission will be a crucial step forward. With the help of SpaceX, NASA is one step closer to bringing its astronauts home safely and ensuring the continued success of its space exploration programs.

Stay tuned for updates on the Crew-10 launch and the return flight of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. You can watch today's mission with NASA's livestream of the Crew-10 launch.