The launch attempt of NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station has been cancelled leading to the delay of the return of stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The reason has been cited to be “hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 39A.”

When will be the next launch attempt to bring back Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore?

The next available launch opportunity is no earlier than 7:26 pm EDT on Thursday, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy pending review of the issue, according to the statement released by NASA. Launch coverage will start at 3:25 pm (local time) on NASA+. and docking is targeted at 11:30 pm (local time) on Friday.
“Teams with @NASA and @SpaceX have forgone tonight’s launch attempt of the agency’s #Crew10 mission to the @Space_Station due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket. The next available launch opportunity is NET 7:26 p.m. ET March 13, from LC-39A at @NASAKennedy pending review of the issue,” NASA has posted on X.

“With a March 13 Crew-10 launch, the Crew-9 mission with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, would depart the space station no earlier than 9:05 a.m. Monday, March 17, pending weather at the splashdown locations off the coast of Florida,” the NASA said in a statement.

Why was the space mission cancelled?

“NASA and SpaceX have scrubbed Wednesday’s launch attempt of the agency’s Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida,” NASA said on Thursday.
Crew-10 is the 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.