SpaceX’s planned launch of the Crew-10 astronaut mission for NASA has been postponed due to a hydraulic problem with the ground equipment that secures the Falcon 9 rocket to the launch pad. The team will provide updates on the situation as it develops.
On March 12, 2025, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi from Japan and cosmonaut Kirill Peskov from Roscosmos, arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts exited the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, waving to friends and family as they took a short drive to Launch Complex-39A, where their Falcon 9 rocket awaits.
The Crew-10 mission is crucial, marking SpaceX’s tenth commercial crew launch for NASA. The astronauts will spend about six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), engaging in experiments and maintenance. This will be McClain’s and Onishi’s second trip to the ISS; they previously flew together in 2016 and 2019. For Ayers and Peskov, this marks their first spaceflight.
After launching, the Crew-10 team will take around 14 hours to reach the ISS, with docking scheduled for early on March 13. This overlap with Crew-9, currently aboard the ISS, is vital. Crew-9 members have been in space since June 2023, and their return has been delayed due to a series of complications involving Boeing’s Starliner capsule. The timely arrival of Crew-10 will facilitate Crew-9’s return home, which is anticipated to occur in mid-March.
NASA’s ongoing partnerships with private companies like SpaceX and Boeing aim to ensure a seamless crew rotation and continuous staffing aboard the ISS. Over the years, these collaborations have transformed space missions, reflecting a shift from traditional space programs to a more commercial approach. A recent NASA report stated that these missions not only sustain the ISS’s operations but also open doors for new scientific research opportunities.
The Crew-10 launch is scheduled for 7:48 p.m. EDT (2348 GMT), with ongoing updates and a livestream available from NASA and SpaceX. Following their arrival at the ISS, the Crew-10 astronauts will join Crew-9 in conducting vital research that could aid future space exploration.
For those interested in the astropolitics of space exploration, expert opinions suggest that continued investment in these missions is essential for technological advancement and international collaboration in space science.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Crew-10 mission and the exciting developments from the ISS.
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