Two NASA astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June are facing at least another month in space. NASA announced on Tuesday that SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission launch has been postponed to no earlier than late March.
The delayed mission is critical for returning astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth. The pair arrived at the ISS on June 5 aboard Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule for what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. However, issues with the Starliner, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, made the return trip too dangerous. Boeing brought the Starliner back to Earth empty in September, and NASA reassigned Williams and Wilmore to SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission, initially scheduled for late February.
NASA explained the delay in a blog post, citing the need for additional time to process a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission. The new spacecraft is expected to arrive at SpaceX’s Florida processing facility in early January.
“Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. He expressed appreciation for the SpaceX team’s efforts and the flexibility of ISS crew members as preparations continue.
NASA and SpaceX evaluated various options, including the use of another Dragon spacecraft, but ultimately decided that launching Crew-10 in March with the new capsule was the best approach. “After careful consideration, the team determined that launching Crew-10 in late March, following completion of the new Dragon spacecraft, was the best option for meeting NASA’s requirements and achieving space station objectives for 2025,” NASA stated.
Crew-10 will include NASA astronauts Anne McClain as the mission commander and Nichole Ayers as the pilot. Mission specialists will include Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, completing an extended stay on the ISS. The delay underscores ongoing challenges with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the need for reliable spacecraft alternatives.
As Boeing continues to address issues with its Starliner capsule, the postponement highlights the importance of SpaceX’s role in maintaining crew rotations and ensuring astronaut safety.
