NASA and SpaceX on Wednesday canceled the launch attempt of the agency’s crew -10 mission at the international space station at the International Space Station due to the problem of hydraulic system with ground support clamp arm for Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
According to the statement released by NASA, next available launch opportunity, until the issue review is pending, NASA Kennedy’s launch complex will not take place from 39A at 7:26 pm on Thursday at 7:26 pm.
Launch coverage will begin at NASA+ at 3:25 pm (local time) and the target of docking is 11:30 pm on Friday (local time).
A team of four people will go to ISS for six months riding on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. According to Fox News report, the mission is being started to bring back the Barry “Buch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams.
NASA said in a statement, “With crew-10 launch on 13 March, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suna Williams and Buch Willmore with Crew-9 mission, Roskosomos astronaut with astronaut Alexander Gorbunov, will move from the splashdown locations on the banks of Florida, on the basis of weather at the morning at 9:05 am, on Monday, March 17, on Monday, 9:05 am”
It states, “Crew-10 is the 10th crew rotation mission of the human space transport system of SpaceX and its 11th flight with crew including the Demo-2 test flight for the space station through NASA’s commercial crew program.”
According to Fox News report, before the launch on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a video message to express support for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10.
In a video posted on X, Hegseth said, “I just want to say that we are praying for you.” He further said, “We pray to God for you, and we are eager to welcome you all soon at home.”
Hegseth said, “President Trump told Allen Musk,” Take the astronauts home and do this work right now ” – and he reacted to it.”
According to Fox News report, he said, “And they are also bringing NASA astronauts home, who are retired US Navy Captain Buch Wilmor and retired US Navy Captain Sun Williams.”
Buch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have been stranded on ISS since nine months since reaching there in June last year. They had to stay there for about a week.
Astronauts were riding in the Starlineer spacecraft of Boeing and taken from Earth from Earth. However, in September, the spacecraft returned to Earth without any human. According to Fox News report, this happened when Starlineer faced “helium leaks” and “problems with spacecraft response control thrusters” while docking with ISS.
US President Donald Trump had urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to save astronauts stuck before NASA’s plan, after which the launch was determined on Wednesday. He has repeatedly accused former US President Joe Biden of leaving him in space.
On March 7, Trump said that he has authorized Elon Musk to bring back American astronaut Sunita Williams and Buch Wilmore, who have been trapped at the International Space Station since June last year.
Talking to media persons about two astronauts at the oval office on Friday, Trump said, “We love you (astronauts), and we are coming to take you, and you should not have stayed there for so long. The most incompetent president of our history allows you to do so, but this President will not let this happen with you, but this President will not let this happen. Hope I hope that they have loved each other.
Speaking about Sunita Williams, Trump said, “And I am seeing the woman whose hair is very dense, her hair is very good. There is no joke. There is no game with her hair. But, and you know, there is also a danger. There is some failures. It can be very bad. It will be very bad. So you have to take them out. So you have urged them. Kamala left there. And she knows it very well, you are ready to bring it?
Trump said they would welcome both astronauts when they return. He said, “Okay, when they come back, I will welcome them. Why so? No, we will take them out. I have authorized Alan Musk to bring him. And he is ready to do so.”
