Rocket Ready: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Set for Liftoff

NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the Crew-10 mission, set to launch on March 14.

A last-minute issue with ground support hydraulics was swiftly addressed, ensuring everything is on track. The weather forecast is near-perfect, promising smooth conditions for liftoff and travel to orbit. Aboard the SpaceX Dragon, an international team of astronauts is ready for months of critical research aboard the ISS, continuing the legacy of human spaceflight and scientific discovery.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Ready for Launch

NASA and SpaceX are moving forward with plans to launch the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) at 7:03 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 14. Ahead of the launch, SpaceX ground teams inspected the hydraulics system that supports the Falcon 9 rocket’s clamp arm and successfully removed a suspected air pocket. (The previous launch attempt on March 12 was scrubbed due to a hydraulic issue with a ground support clamp arm on the Falcon 9 rocket.)

Live launch coverage will begin at 3 p.m. on March 14 on NASA+.

Weather conditions on Florida’s Space Coast are expected to be excellent for the launch, with a greater-than-95% chance of favorable conditions at liftoff. The forecast also looks promising for Crew-10’s journey to orbit aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. However, weather risks increase over the weekend, with a 50% chance of violations on Saturday, March 15, and 60% on Sunday, March 16.

Strong Teamwork and Problem-Solving

“I am extremely proud of our NASA and SpaceX ground engineers and joint operations teams in quickly identifying and resolving this issue,” said Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “I’m especially proud of the team’s systematic approach throughout the countdown, analyzing data and making thoughtful decisions to ensure the integrity of our mission. Their commitment to both excellence and safety is a true testament to the strength of this integrated team.”

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will fly to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket. A regular crew rotation mission aboard the orbiting laboratory, the Crew-10 team will be part of the Expedition 72/73 crew while on station where they will perform dozens of science experiments during their several-month stay in orbit.

Arrival, Docking, and Crew Rotation

After arriving at the station for docking at about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, the Crew-10 members will spend a couple of days familiarizing themselves with the station’s systems. Crew-10 will rotate roles with NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew, including agency astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The Crew-9 mission, which has a separate Dragon spacecraft already docked to the space station, will then undock from the orbiting laboratory and return to the Earth. Crew-9 undock is scheduled for no earlier than Wednesday, March 19.

Crew-10 is the agency’s 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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