Anne, Nichole, Takuya and Kirill: Meet The 4 Astronauts On SpaceX Crew-10 Set to Replace Sunita Williams

New Delhi: Elon Musk's SpaceX has successfully launched the Crew-10 mission from Florida on Saturday, March 15, to send four astronauts- Anne C. McClain and Nichole Ayers of NASA, Takuya Onishi of Japan, and Kirill Peskov of Russia to the International Space Station (ISS).

These four astronauts will replace NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in space for over eight months due to critical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

The crew is scheduled to dock autonomously at the station's Harmony module on March 15 at approximately 11:30 pm EDT (9 am IST on March 16). Once onboard, they will join Expedition 72/73 for an extended stay, contributing to scientific research and station operations.

Who are these four crew members?

Anne C. McClain: Anne C. McClain was selected by NASA in 2013 and is a colonel in the U.S. Army. A native of Spokane, Washington, she earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical/aeronautical engineering from West Point. McClain is a 2002 Marshall Scholar and went on to earn a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Bath in England, as well as a Master of Science in international relations from the University of Bristol. She also holds a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. A Master Army Aviator, McClain has over 2,000 flight hours in 20 different aircraft and is a rated pilot in several types, including the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, C-12 Huron, UH-60 Blackhawk, and UH-72 Lakota.

On her first spaceflight, McClain spent 204 days as a flight engineer during Expeditions 58 and 59, completing two spacewalks totaling 13 hours and 8 minutes. Most recently, she launched as the commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission on March 14, 2025. During the mission, she will conduct research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory.

Nichole Ayers: Nichole Ayers, selected by NASA in 2021, joined the astronaut program in January 2022. A Colorado native, she graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2011 with a degree in mathematics and later earned a master’s in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University. Ayers has extensive experience as a pilot and instructor in the T-38A and F-22 Raptor, flying missions worldwide. She has over 1,400 flight hours and participated in Operation Inherent Resolve over Iraq and Syria. Before joining NASA, Ayers served as the assistant director of operations at the 90th Fighter Squadron in Alaska.

Ayers’ accomplishments include receiving numerous awards such as the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Medal. She was a distinguished graduate from both the U.S. Air Force Academy and pilot training, and earned multiple academic honors in college volleyball. As a NASA astronaut, Ayers will pilot the SpaceX Crew-10 mission, launching on March 14, 2025, for research and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory.

Kirill Peskov: Kirill Alexandrovich Peskov, born on May 1, 1990, in Kyzyl, Russia, is an astronaut selected in 2018 as part of Roscosmos Group 17. Before joining the cosmonaut corps, he was a commercial pilot, flying Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft for Nordwind Airlines and Ikar Airlines. He graduated from the Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation in 2012 and received the military rank of Lieutenant in the Russian Air Force reserves. Peskov began his cosmonaut training in 2017 and underwent rigorous survival and water training before being certified as a test cosmonaut in 2020.

Also Read: SpaceX Launches Crew-10 Mission to Rescue NASA Astronauts From ISS

In 2023, Peskov served as the backup for Aleksandr Gorbunov on SpaceX Crew-9 and trained as a flight engineer for Soyuz MS-27. His first spaceflight came in 2024 when he was selected as a crew member for SpaceX Crew-10, which launched him to the International Space Station (ISS) in March 2025 for the long-duration Expedition 72 and 73 missions.

Takuya Onishi: Takuya Onishi, born in Tokyo in 1975, is a Japanese astronaut representing the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He was selected as an astronaut in 2009 and spent 113 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as a Flight Engineer during Expeditions 48 and 49 in 2016. During his mission, Onishi supported the capture of the Cygnus OA-5 spacecraft, assisted with Extravehicular activities, performed ISS maintenance, and conducted scientific experiments in collaboration with both Japanese and international teams.

Before joining JAXA, Onishi was a pilot for All Nippon Airways, accumulating over 3,700 flight hours flying the Boeing 767. His contributions aboard the ISS included capturing and integrating the Cygnus spacecraft and setting up research environments in the Kibo laboratory module. This was his second mission to space, following his previous successful mission with JAXA.

Crew-10 Mission

The launch of the Crew-10 mission marks NASA and SpaceX's plan to bring the crew back home after significant delays. This situation has sparked discussions about potential political interference and engineering issues within Boeing's Starliner program. Once Crew-10 reaches the ISS, NASA will assess weather conditions before allowing the return of astronauts Williams and Wilmore to Earth.

NASA has confirmed that Sunita Williams and her crew will not be returning to Earth before March 19. If all goes as planned, their long-awaited journey back home will commence within the following days, pending the evaluation of the weather conditions.