A hydraulics problem at the launchpad caused the mission to be called off less than an hour before liftoff.
SpaceX has delayed the launch of its Crew-10 mission, which was intended to replace two NASA astronauts who have been on the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months – a significantly longer period than their initial eight-day mission.
The mission, initially scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center at 7:48 pm EDT on March 12, aimed to send a new crew to the ISS, allowing astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to finally return home. They have been on the station since June 2024 after their original return spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner, encountered issues with its propulsion system. NASA determined the spacecraft was unsafe and ultimately disposed of it.
SpaceX postponed the launch due to a last-minute technical issue with the rocket’s launchpad, officials announced during a livestream of the launch countdown.
The new launch date is uncertain, although backup launch opportunities were available on Thursday and Friday. NASA indicated that “the next possible launch is no earlier than 7:26 pm EDT Thursday… pending review of the issue.”
Shortly after assuming office in January, US President Donald Trump urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to bring Wilmore and Williams back, and criticized former President Joe Biden for the situation. NASA officials, however, clarified that the decision to prolong the astronauts’ stay was based on operational factors and was not politically influenced.
Despite the extended mission, Wilmore and Williams have continued their work on the ISS, contributing to research and maintenance. Williams mentioned last week that the situation has been a “roller coaster” for their families, “probably a little more so than for us.”
The replacement international crew for the Crew-10 mission includes American astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.