Crew-10 returns to Earth after five months in space

SpaceX's Crew-10 returns to Earth after a roughly five month stay on the International Space Station with a Pacific splashdown.

Crew-10 Returns to Earth After Five Months Aboard ISS

NASA and SpaceX are bringing home four astronauts from Crew-10. The Endurance capsule is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast at 11:33 a.m. EDT. The crew launched on March 14 aboard a Falcon 9 and arrived at the ISS two days later, where they conducted science work during their stay. The mission is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, marking the 10th operational crewed flight to and from the ISS.

The crew members are Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers of NASA, Takuya Onishi of JAXA, and Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos. Their work included studying space-caused mental and physical changes, brain-to-heart blood flow, and planning for future lunar navigation. The hatches to the ISS closed on August 8, the capsule undocked later that day, and Endurance began its return in preparation for splashdown.

The Pacific splashdown represents a milestone for SpaceX and NASA as they expand West Coast reentries for crewed flights, a move intended to mitigate debris risk to coastal communities. It also illustrates how private companies are now central players in NASA’s long-term plan for human spaceflight, while still relying on international partners for ISS operations. The mission underscores a blend of routine and risk in space exploration: routine in the cadence of launches and returns, and risk in the variables of reentry and debris management.

International cooperation remains a backbone of ISS work, with crew members from NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos aboard Crew-10. As NASA leans on commercial partners to maintain presence in low Earth orbit, questions will grow about cost, safety oversight, and the pace of future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.

Highlights

Exploration continues to hinge on teamwork across agencies and companies.