NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Was Moments From Liftoff – Then a Last-Minute Malfunction Shut It Down

A highly anticipated launch of NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station was postponed due to a hydraulic issue with the Falcon 9 rocket’s ground support system.

The four-member international crew safely exited the Dragon spacecraft as officials assessed the problem. The next launch attempt is set for March 13, with favorable weather conditions predicted.

Launch Scrubbed Due to Hydraulic Issue

NASA and SpaceX have postponed Wednesday’s Crew-10 launch to the International Space Station (ISS) due to a hydraulic issue with a ground support clamp arm on the Falcon 9 rocket. The launch was set to take place at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Following the scrubbed launch attempt, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov exited the Dragon spacecraft. NASA’s live coverage will continue until the crew has left the launch pad and returned to the Astronaut Crew Quarters.

Next Launch Attempt and Weather Outlook

The next available launch opportunity is scheduled for no earlier than 7:26 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 13, pending further review of the issue. NASA will begin live coverage at 3:25 p.m. on NASA+. If the launch proceeds as planned, docking with the space station is expected at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14. The U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron forecasts a greater-than-95% chance of favorable conditions at the launch site. Weather along the spacecraft’s flight path will also be closely monitored.

Crew-9’s Departure Timeline

With a March 13 Crew-10 launch, the Crew-9 mission with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, would depart the space station no earlier than 9:05 a.m. Monday, March 17, pending weather at the splashdown locations off the coast of Florida.

Crew-10 is the 10th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 11th flight with crew aboard, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

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