SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Faces Delay after Hydraulic Glitch, New Launch Date Set

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SpaceX faced a setback when a hydraulic issue delayed the launch of the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station. The mission, carrying four astronauts, was moments away from liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida when the problem was identified in the transporter-erector. NASA astronaut Anne McClain assured that the crew remained prepared for the mission once the issue was resolved, emphasizing that the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule were intact.

The technical fault, identified in the transporter-erector, involved a clamp arm crucial for securing the rocket before launch. Mike Ravenscroft, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program launch vehicle office manager, elaborated on the concern regarding how the Falcon 9 is held in place during liftoff. Extensive evaluations were carried out by SpaceX and NASA engineers before the decision was made to postpone the mission for safety reasons.

In light of the delay, NASA revealed that a new launch attempt for the Crew-10 mission has been rescheduled for March 14. The astronaut lineup includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Their objective is to replace the Crew-9 team currently aboard the ISS, consisting of Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, who are set to return to Earth shortly after Crew-10’s arrival.

The anticipation remains high for the successful launch of the Crew-10 mission, as the astronauts gear up for their six-month stay aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific research and exploration efforts in space.