Military-Crewed SpaceX Flight Set to Bring Back Astronauts > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

The SpaceX Crew-10 mission, which includes two active-duty U.S. military officers, is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, today on a quest to bring back a pair of NASA astronauts who have been on the International Space Station since June 2024. 

Dubbed Crew Dragon Endurance, the SpaceX Dragon 2 reusable spacecraft is set to dock at the ISS Thursday. 

The mission comes after President Donald J. Trump called for the safe return from the ISS of NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams — both retired U.S. Navy captains — whose return to Earth was delayed after Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft hit technical snags. 

“These are our people, and we’re not leaving them up there,” Trump said in a February 2025 speech at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. 

The mission marks the 10th crew rotation for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and SpaceX’s 17th crewed orbital flight. The team effort has a goal of bringing Wilmore and Williams home by March 16. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saluted the mission by releasing a video message earlier today. 

“The Department of Defense is proud to have multiple branches, and two active-duty U.S. military officers represented in this mission,” Hegseth said. 

Army Col. Anne McClain and Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers made up the active-duty portion of the SpaceX crew. 

Picked by NASA in 2013 and serving as Crew-10’s commander, McClain spent 204 days on the ISS from 2018-2019 during Expeditions 58/59, leading two spacewalks.  

Ayers, a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2011 and earned her wings in 2014, flying T-38 Talons at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Following that she piloted the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, where she flew over 200 combat hours supporting missions like Operation Inherent Resolve. 

NASA brought her on board in 2021. 

An additional astronaut — and former Navy SEAL and physician who joined NASA in 2017 — Lt. Cmdr. Jonny Kim, is also scheduled to launch no earlier than April 8, 2025, to participate in Expeditions 72/73. 

“We’re praying for you, we wish you Godspeed, and we look forward to welcoming you all home soon,” Hegseth told the astronauts via the video. 

The trouble for Wilmore and Williams started what was supposed to be a week spent on the ISS.  

Upon arrival, NASA and Boeing identified a number of helium leaks and thruster issues on the Starliner, forcing the astronauts to stay on the ISS. 

By September, issues with the spacecraft led to NASA opting to send the vessel back to earth unmanned and leaving Wilmore and Williams.  

Once aboard the ISS, some of the Crew Dragon Endurance team will remain for a scheduled six months.  

While aboard, the team is set to conduct over 200 experiments, including organoid studies for disease treatments and plant growth tests in microgravity.  

They’ll also try out leg pressure cuffs to help with fluid shifts in space — work that supports NASA’s Artemis program and benefits life on Earth.