NASA-SpaceX Launch Delayed, Flight Held Back Due to Malfunction

The NASA-SpaceX Crew 10 launch has been delayed again after a hydraulic system issue sparked concerns before take-off. The SpaceX ISS mission faced launch problems that arose less than four hours before the launch was expected to begin at the Kennedy Space Center. While the engineering crew tried to investigate and resolve the matter, it was determined that it was better to postpone the launch.

The Falcon 9 rocket that was part of the mission did not witness any issues, but a problem with the hydraulics of one of the two arm clamps maintaining it in place caused concern. The arms were expected to hold and release the rocket at the right angle in order to allow for takeoff, but the detected issue could have put the mission at risk right from the launch. The four astronauts on the rescue mission were already strapped in and ready for launch, but with just an hour to go, the expedition was temporarily called off.

The SpaceX ISS crew rescue mission is facing some delays. (Image: The International Space Station photographed by an STS-130 crew member, NASA)

NASA-SpaceX Crew 10 Launch For Now, Two Astronauts Remain Stranded at the ISS

The four astronauts on the SpaceX ISS rescue crew have not given up on the mission to bring back their colleagues and neither has NASA. Despite the delay in the NASA-SpaceX Crew 10 launch, which was supposed to take place on March 12, the organization is working on resolving the issue and reattempting the launch this week.

According to Reuters, NASA and Space X are now set on a target of no earlier than 7:03 PM EDT on Friday. If the mission goes off well, the stranded astronauts of the ISS, Wilmore and Williams could depart from the ISS by March 19. The two have been stuck in space for an unintended duration with no way to return home, but there are a lot of hopes hinging on the ISS crew rescue mission in 2025.

What Was the Original NASA-SpaceX Launch Plan?

Initially, the SpaceX ISS rescue crew was expected to leave on the mission on March 26, 2025, but the issue turned political and grew more complicated from then on. The new president insisted that the rescue plan be changed and scheduled as early as possible.

Soon, NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-10 launch was scheduled for 7:48 PM EDT on March 12, 2025, and the Falcon 9 rocket was expected to take off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ship was expected to stay on course towards the International Space Station (ISS) and dock at 6 AM on Thursday, March 13, 2025.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule atop the Falcon 9 rocket was intended to carry four replacement crew members to the ISS. This included NASA astronaut commander Anne McClain and pilot Nichole Ayers. The crew also included mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, who were journeying to the International Space Station to further work there.

The plan was to take these 4 crew members to the orbiting laboratory for a science mission of about four months, while also bringing NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Sunita (Suni) Williams back home along with the rest of Crew-9, including NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos’ Aleksandr Gorbunov. The returning team was then expected to undock from the station on March 16, without further delays.

A space mission is highly complex, and the NASA SpaceX launch is no different, especially with all eyes watching its progress. (Image: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, NASA)

What Did SpaceX Need to Send an ISS Rescue Crew?

Wilmore and Williams went up to the ISS 9 months ago in June and were only expected to spend a week at the station. Unfortunately, the Boeing Starliner capsule that took them to their destination experienced a malfunction and was incapable of bringing them back home safely. The capsule returned home but it came empty as it was deemed too risky to support the astronauts.

While this was primarily a NASA mission and problem to resolve, SpaceX has been reaching for the chance to show off its expertise and bring the two back home. The ISS crew rescue mission planned for 2025 saw many delays in the weeks leading up to it as work still had to be done to ready the new SpaceX capsule intended to take their replacements up to space and return them here.

Eventually, it was determined that a previously used capsule would be employed in the NASA SpaceX launch to swap the crew and bring the stranded members back to the surface. While there has been a lot of talk about the delayed attempts to retrieve them, both astronauts believe they have not been “stranded” or “abandoned” in space as they knew the risks of such a mission before they signed up for it.

“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.”

—Williams

The SpaceX Crew Mission Delay Should Be Temporary

The SpaceX launch pad malfunction is not ideal but to the credit of the ground crew, it was detected before launch and reduced any risk to the flight crew or the machinery. From the reset NASA SpaceX launch plans, it doesn’t appear that the hydraulics issue was severe enough to delay the flight by weeks or months.

If everything goes as planned and the NASA astronauts stuck on the ISS in 2025 are safely brought back home this time, it will be a big win for SpaceX. Many have begun to see the company’s work as mainly ambitious rather than realistic, and the failure or other recent launches have put the company’s credibility and progress into doubt.

SpaceX’s role in NASA’s emergency response to the stranded crew did not feel as critical when the collaboration was first announced, but the company has managed to take a stand for its brand to a degree. The situation has been turned into a political one by the new President, however, all that matters is the safe docking of Crew-10 and the return of the astronauts currently on the ISS.

Subscribe to Technowize and we’ll make sure you get all the latest updates on our global forrays into space and tech.