Another Delay – SpaceX Postpones Crew-10 Mission to Retrieve Stranded NASA Astronauts

Less than an hour before its scheduled liftoff, NASA halted the launch of four Crew-10 astronauts aboard a SpaceX rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is crucial in clearing the way for Crew-9’s return, including NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been on the ISS since June.

The next available launch window is set for 7:26 p.m. EDT (11:26 p.m. GMT) on Thursday.

Extended Stay for NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams

Wilmore and Williams originally arrived at the ISS on a Boeing Starliner for what was meant to be a 10-day test flight. However, technical issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system forced an unexpected uncrewed return of the capsule, leaving the astronauts on the ISS for an additional nine months.

While their prolonged stay has led to speculation that they were “stuck” in space, the astronauts have refuted this claim.

“Of course, you know, we came up here thinking we’d be only here for a little while and do our test flight, but then the added time here has allowed us to do all the science experiments,” Williams told AccuWeather. “We’ve gone through a lot of holidays together. We’ve learned how to make cakes up here for each other. So it’s been a lot of fun actually.”

The Crew-10 Mission

The Crew-10 team consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos’ Kirill Peskov.

Their mission will involve several months of spacewalks, research, and maintenance work aboard the ISS.

Once they arrive and complete a brief handover with Crew-9, NASA plans to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth.

Political Controversy

The prolonged stay of Wilmore and Williams has sparked political debate, with former President Donald Trump criticizing the Biden administration for “[allowing it] to happen.”

“We love you, and we’re coming up to get you, and you shouldn’t have been up there so long,” Trump said earlier this month.

Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX is facilitating the return, also previously claimed on social media that his firm could have brought the astronauts back months ago. However, Wilmore stated in a media briefing that “what was offered, what was not offered, who it was offered to, how that process went — that’s information that we simply don’t have.”