A hydraulic malfunction forced SpaceX to delay the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) just 45 minutes before its scheduled liftoff on March 12. The launch, originally set to take place from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:48 p.m. EDT (2348 GMT), was postponed after engineers identified an issue in the transporter-erector, a key structure that moves and supports the Falcon 9 rocket on the launchpad.
Transporter-Erector Malfunction Identified
NASA confirmed that the detected issue involved a clamp arm on the transporter-erector, which is crucial in securing the rocket before takeoff. Mike Ravenscroft, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program launch vehicle office manager, explained that the concern was related to how the Falcon 9 is held in place at the time of release. Despite the glitch, no faults were reported in the Falcon 9 rocket or the Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance.
New Launch Date Announced
NASA and SpaceX have rescheduled the launch for March 14 at 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT). The mission aims to transport four astronauts to the ISS for a six-month stay. The Crew-10 team includes:
- Anne McClain (NASA, Commander)
- Nichole Ayers (NASA, Pilot)
- Takuya Onishi (JAXA, Mission Specialist)
- Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos, Mission Specialist)
Crew-9 to Return After Crew-10 Arrival
Once Crew-10 reaches the ISS, they will replace Crew-9 members Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, who will return to Earth shortly after the handover.
NASA officials stated that engineers are working diligently to resolve the issue and ensure a successful launch on the rescheduled date.
