Crew-10 mission delay affects return schedule
NASA and SpaceX have postponed the launch of a new four-member crew to the International Space Station (ISS), delaying the much-anticipated return of US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams.
Crew-10 mission postponement
The Crew-10 mission, which was scheduled to lift off from Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket, was designed to replace the current ISS crew and bring back Wilmore and Williams. The two astronauts have been stranded in space for nine months following their journey on Boeing’s malfunctioning Starliner spacecraft.
NASA announced that the launch was called off due to a hydraulic system issue with the Falcon 9 rocket’s ground support clamp arm. The agency stated that teams are working to resolve the issue before determining a new launch date.
When will stranded NASA astronauts return to Earth?
NASA has set a revised target launch time for no earlier than 7:03 PM EDT (23:03 GMT) on Friday after postponing Wednesday’s attempt 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 return timeline was moved up by two weeks following calls from US President Donald Trump and his adviser, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, urging an earlier return for Wilmore and Williams.
Wilmore and Williams’ extended ISS stay
Wilmore and Williams, both seasoned astronauts and U.S. Navy test pilots, have far exceeded their planned eight-day mission on the ISS. Their Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth last year without them due to technical failures.
Initially, SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission was set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral at 7:48 PM ET (23:48 GMT) on Wednesday—6:18 AM IST on Thursday—carrying two US astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian astronaut.
What have Wilmore and Williams been doing on the ISS?
NASA reported that Wilmore and Williams have been actively participating in research and maintenance work aboard the ISS and remain safe.
During a March 4 media call, Williams shared her eagerness to reunite with her family and pets after her prolonged stay in space.
“It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,” Williams said about her family. “We’re here, we have a mission—we’re just doing what we do every day, and every day is interesting because we’re up in space and it’s a lot of fun.”
NASA clarified that Wilmore and Williams must stay on the ISS until Crew-10 arrives to ensure enough US astronauts remain on board for essential station maintenance.
The two astronauts originally arrived at the ISS in June as part of Boeing’s first crewed test flight of the Starliner spacecraft. However, after experiencing propulsion system failures, NASA deemed it too risky to use the Boeing craft for their return. Instead, plans were made to bring them back to Earth using a SpaceX capsule.
