New Date for SpaceX Launch NASA Targets Friday for Crew-10 Liftoff

The SpaceX launch of Crew-10 has been pushed back by NASA and SpaceX. Crew-10 was supposed to send four humans to the International Space Station (ISS) to fill in for an existing crew. The mission that was supposed to take off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday had to be canceled because of a problem with the Falcon 9 rocket’s ground support clamp arm’s hydraulic system.

NASA announced that launch teams are actively working to resolve the problem and are now targeting a new launch attempt no earlier than Friday at 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT). This delay has further extended the stay of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been aboard the ISS longer than originally planned.

With a successful Crew-10 launch on Friday, Wilmore and Williams are now expected to return to Earth on Wednesday, March 19. The Crew-9 mission, which brought them to the ISS, was initially scheduled for return on March 26 but was moved up by two weeks following a directive from former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who urged NASA to expedite their return.

Extended Stay for Wilmore and Williams

Wilmore and Williams, both veteran astronauts and former U.S. Navy test pilots, have been aboard the ISS since June 2023. They originally traveled to the station on Boeing’s Starliner capsule as part of its first crewed test mission.

NASA thought it was too dangerous for them to stay on the Starliner because of problems with the propulsion system, so it was sent back to Earth without them. Other plans had to be made for their return. The astronauts have continued to do scientific work and maintenance on the ISS, which keeps the floating laboratory running smoothly.

 

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Despite the extended mission, NASA has assured that Wilmore and Williams remain safe. In a March 4 press conference, Williams expressed her eagerness to reunite with her family and pets upon her return.

“It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,” Williams said. “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.”

Political Involvement in NASA Operations

Although astronaut crew rotations are typically routine, this mission has taken on a political dimension. Trump and Musk have publicly criticized the Biden administration for the delayed return of Wilmore and Williams, though they have not provided evidence to support their claims.

Their involvement has put unusual pressure on NASA’s human spaceflight operations, an area typically shielded from political influence. NASA had originally planned for Crew-10 to launch on March 26, but because a SpaceX ship was late, they switched it out for one that could be ready sooner.

Crew-10 will be replacing Crew-9 to make sure that the ISS always has enough U.S. workers. astronauts, who are responsible for various maintenance and operational tasks aboard the station.

Crew-10 Mission Details

Once the SpaceX launch is complete, Crew-10 will consist of two U.S. astronauts, with one from Japan and one from Russia. When they get there, Wilmore, Williams, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will be able to use the SpaceX Dragon ship that has been docked at the station since September to go back to Earth.

The Problem with the Boeing Starliner

NASA gave Boeing a $4.5 billion deal to work on the Starliner program. It was meant to be an option to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for transporting crews. But problems with technology have slowed down the Starliner’s progress.

Boeing suffered a big loss when problems with the Starliner’s power system kept Wilmore and Williams from going back. Before NASA will approve the capsule for regular human trips, it has to successfully finish a crewed test journey.

NASA’s main ship for getting humans to and from the ISS since 2020 has been SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Crew Dragon’s continued use shows how hard it is for Boeing to make a safe spaceship that can compete in NASA’s private crew program.

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Conclusion

 NASA and SpaceX are still working to fix the problems that are stopping the Crew-10 launch. If the SpaceX launch goes as planned on Friday, Wilmore and Williams’ unexpectedly long stay on the ISS will soon come to an end.

Their return will be another important step in NASA’s ongoing work to make sure crew shifts are safe and effective, even though there have been problems with technology and political pressures.