NASA-SpaceX postpone Falcon 9 mission due to technical fault
SpaceX has postponed the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, which was scheduled to carry four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and bring back NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The launch, originally planned for today from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was scrubbed less than an hour before liftoff due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm on the rocket.
NASA and SpaceX confirmed the delay of the Crew-10 mission, which was intended to replace Williams and Wilmore aboard the ISS. The postponement was caused by a technical fault in one of the support arms holding the Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 39A.
“Standing down from tonight’s launch opportunity of @NASA’s Crew-10 mission to the @Space_Station,” SpaceX posted on social media, confirming the scrubbed launch.
Despite the delay, NASA and SpaceX remain optimistic that the mission could launch within the next two days. New launch windows are available on Thursday and Friday, and if the hydraulic issue is resolved, the mission could proceed later this week.
The Crew-10 mission is set to carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the ISS to replace Williams and Wilmore.
The astronauts aboard the Dragon spacecraft have safely exited, and the rocket remains secure.
The delay impacts the timely return of Williams and Wilmore, whose stay on the ISS has already been extended due to technical issues. NASA had planned for a quick turnaround of the SpaceX Crew Dragon to conserve consumables at the ISS, making a prompt launch important for station operations.
