NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of a replacement crew to the International Space Station (ISS), postponing the long-awaited return of U.S. astronaut Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams.
Originally scheduled to lift off from Florida, the Crew-10 mission was meant to replace the current ISS crew and facilitate Wilmore and Williams’ return after being stranded in space for nine months due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
NASA attributed the delay to a hydraulic system problem with the Falcon 9 rocket’s ground support clamp arm. The agency stated that teams are working on resolving the issue before setting a new launch date. A revised launch is now targeted for no earlier than 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT) on Friday (4:33 a.m. IST on Saturday), after Wednesday’s attempt was canceled due to high winds and rain along Dragon’s flight path.
If the Crew-10 mission successfully launches on Friday, the Crew-9 mission—carrying Wilmore and Williams—is expected to depart the ISS on Wednesday, March 19. The mission timeline was moved up by two weeks following requests from former U.S. President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite the astronauts’ return.
Wilmore and Williams, both seasoned astronauts and U.S. Navy test pilots, were initially scheduled for an eight-day stay on the ISS. However, their Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth without them last year due to propulsion system failures, leaving NASA to arrange their return via a SpaceX capsule.
The Crew-10 mission was initially set to launch from Kennedy Space Center at 7:48 p.m. EDT (2348 GMT) on Wednesday (6:18 a.m. IST on Thursday), carrying two U.S. astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian astronaut.
NASA reassured that Wilmore and Williams are safe aboard the ISS, actively engaged in research and maintenance tasks alongside their fellow astronauts. Williams, speaking during a March 4 press briefing, shared her anticipation of reuniting with her family and pets.
“It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably more so than for us,” she said. “We’re here, we have a mission, and every day is interesting because we’re in space—it’s a lot of fun.”
NASA emphasized that the two astronauts must remain on the ISS until Crew-10 arrives to ensure an adequate number of U.S. astronauts are available for essential station maintenance.
