NASA and SpaceX Delay Crew-10 Launch to ISS Due to Technical Issue

NASA and SpaceX have postponed the launch of the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) due to a ground system issue at the launchpad, CNN reported. The mission, which was initially scheduled for Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center, aims to relieve astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams after an extended stay in orbit.

The delay was caused by a malfunction in the hydraulics system responsible for securing the upper part of the Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX stated that the launch could be rescheduled for Thursday at 7:26 p.m. Eastern Time (2326 GMT), though a final decision is pending. When launched, a SpaceX Dragon capsule will carry NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain, JAXA’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the ISS.

Crew-10 will replace Crew-9 members Williams, Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, who will return to Earth after a brief handover period. Williams and Wilmore have remained in orbit since June due to propulsion issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which was deemed unsafe for their return.