- SpaceX delayed a launch to the ISS due to a technical issue, impacting the crew rotation and astronauts’ return. NASA aims to reschedule for Friday, March 14.
- The launch team identified the hydraulic problem less than four hours before liftoff, promptly canceling the mission.
- A successful launch would allow astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return to Earth on March 19 after nine months in space.
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SpaceX postponed a planned launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, March 12, due to a hydraulic system issue on the launch pad. The mission, which was set to send a replacement crew at the ISS, would have paved the way for the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded in space for nine months.
NASA officials cited concerns with the hydraulics used to release one of the two arms securing the Falcon 9 rocket before liftoff. Engineers identified the issue less than four hours before launch, leading to a cancellation with less than an hour remaining in the countdown.
The agency now aims for a Friday, March 14, launch.
Why are Wilmore and Williams stuck in space?
Wilmore and Williams originally traveled to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, the first test flight of the spacecraft with astronauts.
Boeing’s Starliner experienced mid-flight propulsion system failures, preventing it from safely returning to Earth and extending the mission beyond its planned week.
NASA ordered the capsule to return empty, transferring Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their eventual return.
NASA has kept Wilmore and Williams aboard the ISS to ensure the station remains adequately staffed until their replacements arrive. The two astronauts have spent the past nine months conducting research and maintenance while waiting for a safe ride home.
What happens next?
SpaceX will launch Crew-10 on Friday, March 14, paving the way for Wilmore, Williams, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov to return to Earth on March 19 aboard a Crew Dragon capsule.
NASA accelerated this crew rotation after President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk publicly pushed for Wilmore and Williams’ earlier return.
NASA accelerated the mission from March 26 by replacing a delayed Crew Dragon capsule with one that was ready sooner.
How has Starliner’s failure impacted NASA?
Boeing’s Starliner was developed under a $4.5 billion NASA contract meant to provide an alternative to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. However, repeated delays, cost overruns and technical failures have kept Starliner from achieving certification for routine astronaut missions.
The ongoing issues have left Crew Dragon as NASA’s only operational spacecraft for ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS.
NASA and Boeing have not announced a new target date for Starliner’s next test flight. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to handle astronaut transport under a separate NASA contract worth at least $4 billion.
