ISS Crew-10 Mission Docks Successfully, Four New Astronauts Join Station Crew
Published Date: 15th Feb, 2026
February 15, 2026
The SpaceX Crew-10 mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday morning at 4:58 a.m. EST (09:58 UTC), delivering four new astronauts for a planned six-month science expedition. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, completed an autonomous rendezvous and soft capture with the station's Harmony module nadir port following a flawless launch from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on February 15 at 1:03 a.m. EST.
After pressurization checks and leak tests, the hatch between Dragon and the station opened at approximately 7:15 a.m. EST. The arriving crew was welcomed aboard by the seven-member Expedition 72/73 team already on orbit: NASA astronauts Don Pettit, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Nick Hague; Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner; and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.
Crew-10 Astronauts Now Onboard
- Anne McClain (NASA) – Mission commander, second long-duration flight
- Nichole Ayers (NASA) – Pilot, first spaceflight
- Takuya Onishi (JAXA) – Mission specialist, veteran of two previous ISS expeditions
- Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos) – Mission specialist, first spaceflight
The new arrivals will conduct more than 200 experiments during their stay, focusing on human health in extended spaceflight, advanced materials processing in microgravity, Earth observation for climate monitoring, biological and physical sciences, and preparations for future Artemis lunar missions and Mars exploration planning.
Mission Timeline and Return Plans
- Launch: February 15, 2026, 1:03 a.m. EST
- Docking: February 16, 2026, 4:58 a.m. EST
- Expected duration: Approximately six months
- Planned return: Late August 2026 aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour
The Crew-9 astronauts, who have been aboard since September 2025, are now in their final weeks on orbit and are expected to undock and return to Earth in late February or early March aboard Crew Dragon Freedom.
Mission Significance
Crew-10 is the tenth crewed flight under NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the 14th crewed orbital mission for SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The Falcon 9 first stage (B1083) completed its 15th flight and landed successfully on droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic, continuing SpaceX's record-setting reusability achievements.
NASA officials described the mission as "critical for maintaining continuous human presence on the ISS while advancing scientific knowledge and preparing for future deep-space exploration." The station currently hosts 11 people with the arrival of Crew-10, the maximum capacity until Crew-9 departs.
Live video of the docking, hatch opening, and welcome ceremony was broadcast on NASA TV, SpaceX's YouTube channel, and international partner streams. The mission continues NASA's effort to sustain ISS operations through at least 2030 while transitioning toward commercial space stations in low Earth orbit.
Date: 15th Feb, 2026
