Expected to launch on March 12, NASA and SpaceX called off the Crew-10 astronaut launch mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The delayed mission was going to bring two United States astronauts, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, back home.
Initially planned to visit the space station for about a week in June 2024, the astronauts have been stuck in space for nine months due to issues with their transport spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner.
NASA and SpaceX called off the Crew-10 mission launch due to a ground hydraulics issue
Image credits: SpaceX/Unsplash
SpaceX planned to launch the four-person Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station using a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:48 p.m. EDT.
However, about 45 minutes before liftoff, the launch was called off due to a ground hydraulics issue with the transporter-erector, which is a structure that is used to move and support the rocket once in space.
NASA officials explained during the launch webcast that the problem causing the delay involved a clamp arm on the transporter-erector. There were no issues with Crew-10’s Falcon 9 rocket or its Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance.
Online users reacted to the scrub of SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The delayed launch had divided reactions on social media, with some users mocking Musk and SpaceX, and others lamenting the delayed “rescue” of Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams. The highly politicized news got a storm of reactions.
One mocked Elon Musk’s SpaceX, saying, “So SpaceX that keeps bursting into the atmosphere is supposed to save them? I would take my chances in Space without that help, they will never make it back in Elons toy rockets.”
Another commented, “Why would we EVER trust SpaceX to successfully do anything?!”
But there were other commenters praising Musk as well. One user said, “Thank you Elon for the incomparable contributions you have made to making the World better.”
Some users lamented how politicized the launch has become
Image credits: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Some users lamented the fact that the launch is politicized, with one saying, “So sad that some people can laugh at this post! God Bless them. Thank you Elon, SpaceX.”
Another added, “I remember a time when the entire civilized world would hope, pray, and hold its collective breath for a rescue mission in space. Godspeed to those who are trying.”
One wondered, “Why did people have to be so hateful why can’t they just pray this is successful?”
Despite the Falcon 9’s 99.18% success rate, SpaceX has become a highly politicized company due to CEO and founder Elon Musk’s recent role as Senior Advisor to US President Donald Trump. The recent explosion of a Starship rocket off the coast of Florida has also increased scrutiny.
The mission’s next launch attempt will be on Friday, March 14
Image credits: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Crew-10 commander Anne McClain from NASA said, “Great working with you today” to the launch controllers. She added, “Kudos from the whole team. I know it was a lot of work to try to go, but like I said earlier, we’ll be ready when the equipment is.”
Mike Ravenscroft, launch vehicle office manager at NASA Commercial Crew Program commented on the scrubbed mission, saying, “This is a concern of basically just how the vehicle is held in place during release at liftoff.”
According to NASA, the next launch attempt is scheduled for Friday, March 14, after the previous attempt on Thursday was also canceled due to forecasted high winds and rain in the flight path of the Dragon spacecraft.
Crew-10 will relieve four astronauts on the ISS, including Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
Image credits: SpaceX
The astronauts that will board the Crew-10 mission are Anne McClain and pilot Nichole Ayers from NASA, astronaut Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov of Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The astronauts are set to go on the ISS for about six months. Once there, they’ll relieve four other astronauts on board the space station. Nick Hague, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore of NASA and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will return to Earth a few days after the Crew-10 docks.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams have been on board the ISS for nine months
Image credits: FOX Business
U.S. astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams first arrived at the ISS in early June as the first test crew of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. Although their mission was intended to last about 10 days, propulsion system issues with Starliner led to the extension of their mission.
After the capsule’s issues, NASA decided to bring Starliner home uncrewed and put Williams and Wilmore on SpaceX’s Crew-9 capsule for their ride home. The Crew-9 mission’s Freedom capsule docked on the ISS in late September with Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard.
NASA explained that Wilmore and Williams could not leave until the new Crew-10 mission arrived so that the ISS was staffed with enough U.S. astronauts for maintenance.
NASA will use a SpaceX capsule to bring Wilmore and Williams home
Image credits: CBS News
To bring Wilmore and Williams home, NASA took off two other astronauts from the Crew-9 launch to open up seats. With the Crew-10 launch, the astronauts will finally return to Earth. NASA stated that with the Crew-10 launch, the Crew-9 mission, including Wilmore and Williams, will leave the space station on Wednesday, March 19.
After President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, called for Wilmore and Williams to be returned earlier, NASA moved up the mission by two weeks. The mission was previously set to launch on March 26, but NASA swapped a delayed SpaceX capsule with a different one that would be ready sooner.
Astronauts Wilmore and Williams have been working on research and maintenance during their unexpected stay on the ISS
Image credits: Jérôme Boursier/Unsplash
During their unexpected stay on the ISS, veteran U.S. pilots Wilmore and Williams have spent their time working on research and maintenance with the space station’s other astronauts and have remained safe, according to NASA.
In a press conference on March 4, Williams said, “It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,” regarding 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.”
Image credits: CBS News
“The hardest part is having the folks on the ground have to not know exactly when we’re coming back,” she added.
Wilmore added that as astronauts, they are aware that any trip carries risks. “The mission of the space station… is something that we deeply believe in,” added Wilmore. “It’s that belief that allows us to take those risks.”
Netizens commented on the Crew-10 mission’s launch delay
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