SpaceX just called off Wednesday’s crewed launch to the ISS
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launch from Florida
The launch was expected to liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. However, it was postponed to Friday at 7:03 p.m. due to a hydraulic ground issue. The arrival of Crew-10 at the ISS will pave the way for Crew-9’s return to Earth, including NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space since June 2024. NASA said the crew will conduct more than 200 experiments during their mission. One of the most prominent experiments includes material flammability tests. This will help “contribute to future spacecraft and facility designs,” according to NASA. The crew is also expected to communicate with students worldwide via ham radio and use its current hardware to test a “backup lunar navigation system” This research will help prepare for future deep-space missions.
Four astronauts launched from Florida to embark on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station.
The launch was expected to liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. However, it was postponed to Friday at 7:03 p.m. due to a hydraulic ground issue.
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The arrival of Crew-10 at the ISS will pave the way for Crew-9’s return to Earth, including NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space since June 2024.
Their return to Earth was delayed due to safety concerns regarding the Boeing Starliner capsule they used for their journey.
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Up next: Falcon 9 is targeted to launch @NASA’s Crew-10 mission to the @Space_Station from pad 39A in Florida on Wednesday, March 12 → https://t.co/VPdhVwQFNJ pic.twitter.com/rSNNE38CzN — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 12, 2025
Officials reported the capsule had helium leaks and thruster problems.
Before Friday’s launch, the Crew-10 members sat down and discussed the upcoming mission. Watch below:
About the Crew-10 mission
NASA said the crew will conduct more than 200 experiments during their mission.
One of the most prominent experiments includes material flammability tests. This will help “contribute to future spacecraft and facility designs,” according to NASA.
The crew is also expected to communicate with students worldwide via ham radio and use its current hardware to test a “backup lunar navigation system.”
NASA also said the astronauts will act as test subjects, with one crew member leading a study to understand how space affects the body and mind.
This research will help prepare for future deep-space missions.
About the crew
The mission features NASA astronauts Anne McClain, the commander, and Nichole Ayers, the pilot.
They are joined by Takuya Onishi, a mission specialist from Japan, and Kirill Peskov, a cosmonaut from Russia.
Rewatch the launch below:
SpaceX just called off Wednesday’s crewed launch to the ISS
SpaceX is standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 crew to the International Space Station (ISS) A new target launch date has yet to be announced. Engineers need more time to repair the liquid oxygen leak identified during earlier booster inspections. Another plan to launchAx-4 was also called off 24 hours earlier due to strong winds in the ascent corridor. Four astronauts — three of whom are non-professional and will be heading to orbit for the first time — are currently in isolation close to the launch site in Florida.
In a post on X on Tuesday evening, SpaceX said its engineers need more time to repair the liquid oxygen leak identified during earlier booster inspections, and therefore would not be launching on June 11. Another plan to launch Ax-4 was also called off 24 hours earlier due to strong winds in the ascent corridor.
Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date pic.twitter.com/FwRc8k2Bc0 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 11, 2025
Four astronauts — three of whom are non-professional and will be heading to orbit for the first time — are currently in isolation close to the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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The Ax-4 crew comprises three individuals from India, Poland, and Hungary, with all three nations sending citizens to the ISS for the first time.
American Peggy Whitson makes up the four-person team, with the retired NASA astronaut leading her second commercial human spaceflight mission.
The Ax-4 crew will spend about two weeks aboard the orbital outpost, living and working alongside the seven members who are already there.
The upcoming mission will be Axiom Space’s fourth privately funded crewed mission to the ISS. The Texas-based company also has a contract with NASA to develop habitable modules that can be attached to the space station, with a plan for the modules to become part of a free-flying, commercially funded orbital facility.
Jared Isaacman, who’s been on two private space missions and until recently was set to become the chief of NASA until President Trump pulled his nomination, commented on the delay to the Ax-4 mission, saying in a post on X: “An inconvenience for the guests and families expecting a launch, but hopefully the Axiom Space’s Ax-4 crew is having a fun time in quarantine. Won’t be long before the big moment. All the best on the mission.”
If you’d like to watch the Ax-4 crew head to orbit from the Kennedy Space Center, then check out this article, which will be updated to show the new target launch date just as soon as it’s announced.
SpaceX Shocks Fans by Canceling Wednesday’s Crewed ISS Launch – What’s Next?
SpaceX has announced a delay in the Falcon 9 launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 crew to the International Space Station (ISS) Originally scheduled for 2025-06-11 05:40:00, the launch has been postponed as engineers address a liquid oxygen leak detected during booster inspections. The decision follows another cancellation just a day prior due to adverse weather conditions. The delay raises questions about the readiness of commercial spaceflight. Will these setbacks affect public confidence in private space missions?
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SpaceX has announced a delay in the Falcon 9 launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 crew to the International Space Station (ISS). Originally scheduled for 2025-06-11 05:40:00, the launch has been postponed as engineers address a liquid oxygen leak detected during booster inspections.
6 Key Takeaways SpaceX delays Falcon 9 Ax-4 launch.
Liquid oxygen leak requires additional repairs.
Strong winds previously canceled another launch attempt.
Ax-4 crew includes astronauts from three nations.
Peggy Whitson leads the Ax-4 mission.
Axiom Space plans future commercial space modules.
The decision follows another cancellation just a day prior due to adverse weather conditions. SpaceX took to X to inform the public, emphasizing the need for additional time to ensure the mission’s safety and success.
The Ax-4 crew, which includes three first-time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, is currently in isolation at Kennedy Space Center. They will be joined by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, marking her second commercial human spaceflight mission.
Fast Answer: SpaceX delays the Ax-4 launch to the ISS due to technical issues, impacting the first missions for astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary.
This delay raises questions about the readiness of commercial spaceflight. Will these setbacks affect public confidence in private space missions? As the Ax-4 crew awaits their journey, several key points emerge:
Safety is paramount, necessitating thorough inspections.
Weather conditions can significantly impact launch schedules.
International participation in space missions is growing.
Commercial spaceflight continues to evolve, despite challenges.
The delay highlights the complexities of space travel, reminding US of the importance of safety in commercial missions.
As we await a new launch date, the excitement surrounding the Ax-4 mission remains high. Keep an eye on updates for this groundbreaking journey into space.
SpaceX Launches NASA’s Crew-10 Mission to the I.S.S.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday night. The rocket is headed to the International Space Station. The mission was delayed because of a problem with a clamp on the rocket.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:03 p.m. Eastern time from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This is a routine rotation of crew on the space station, but it is garnering extra attention because it will allow the return to Earth of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, two NASA astronauts whose brief scheduled visit to the space station last June was unexpectedly stretched to more than nine months.
The stay of Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore in orbit was extended at least two more days when the first attempt at launching this mission on Wednesday was called off with less than 45 minutes left in the countdown. Mission controllers were unable to solve a hydraulic issue with a clamp arm that holds onto the rocket until a few minutes before launch.
On Friday, the countdown proceeded smoothly with the rocket lifting off on time into the mostly clear skies. As typical, the booster of the Falcon 9 dropped off and landed on a pad near the launch site while the second stage continued to orbit.
SpaceX’s Crew-10 arrives at the ISS, paving the way for NASA’s Wilmore and Williams to return home – WSVN 7News
Four crew members docked with the space station around 12:04 a.m. ET on Sunday. They will spend a few days in a “handover” period with Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov. Williams and Wilmore have known since at least last summer they would return home with Crew-9 as part of a routine staffing rotation. SpaceX called off an attempt to launch the Crew-10 mission on Wednesday due to issues with the company’s launchpad ground systems, an official said. The four astronauts will have “mixed emotions” as they try to return to Earth as soon as March 19, she said. “Every time you get to go to space — which is. what all all astronauts want to do — you never know it might be your last time, because you might not be selected for another mission,” she said, during a Friday webcast of the event. The crew will take over duties on the International Space Station from Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The Crew-10 mission, part of a routine staff rotation jointly operated by NASA and SpaceX, took off at 7:03 p.m. ET Friday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A SpaceX Dragon capsule, riding atop one of the company’s Falcon 9 rockets, carried the four Crew-10 astronauts — NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov — to orbit.
The four crew members docked with the space station around 12:04 a.m. ET on Sunday. They will spend a few days in a “handover” period with Williams, Wilmore, and their fellow Crew-9 astronauts, NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos’ Aleksandr Gorbunov.
The Crew-9 Dragon capsule has been docked at the space station since September. If all goes according to plan, Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov will climb aboard the Crew-9 spacecraft and head back to Earth as soon as March 19.
NASA had slated Williams, Wilmore and the other Crew-9 astronauts to return as soon as Sunday. However, their departure hinges on the safe arrival of the relief crew — and SpaceX called off an attempt to launch the Crew-10 mission on Wednesday due to issues with the company’s launchpad ground systems.
The new date is closer in line to a late March departure time that NASA gave the astronauts in December before SpaceX opted to swap the Dragon capsule it used to fly Crew-10 in an attempt to accelerate Williams and Wilmore’s return.
Launch attempts are routinely called off because of technical issues, but the slight delay in getting Crew-10 off the ground has reignited conversations of Williams and Wilmore being “stuck” or “stranded” in space — descriptors the two astronauts have rejected.
“That’s been the narrative from day one: stranded, abandoned, stuck — and I get it, we both get it,” Wilmore told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in February. “Help us change the narrative, let’s change it to: prepared and committed despite what you’ve been hearing. That’s what we prefer.”
After the hand-off of duties to Crew-10 astronauts is complete, the Crew-9 astronauts can board their capsule and undock — and that milestone will kick off the final stretch of Williams and Wilmore’s fraught journey.
While their stay in space has become increasingly politicized, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump asserting the Biden administration abandoned the duo in space, Williams and Wilmore have known since at least last summer they would return home with Crew-9 as part of a routine staffing rotation.
Acting NASA administrator Janet Petro said during Friday’s launch webcast that she spoke to Williams and Wilmore and their crewmates last week.
She said they suspect the four astronauts will have “mixed emotions.”
“Every time you get to go to space — which is what all astronauts want to do — you never know it might be your last time, because you might not be selected for another mission,” Petro said. “So I bet they have mixed emotions leaving their colleagues up there at the space station. I’m sure they’re anxious to get home and put their feet on Earth and spend time with their family — but I think that they have enjoyed their time in space.”
From Starliner to Crew Dragon
Williams and Wilmore began their trip to the International Space Station in June when they piloted the inaugural crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. But multiple problems with the vehicle cropped up en route to the station, including propulsion issues and helium leaks. Those challenges prompted NASA to extend Williams and Wilmore’s stay on the space station as mission teams assessed the issues.
Ultimately, NASA decided last summer that it would be too risky to return Williams and Wilmore home aboard the Boeing vehicle. The space agency announced in August it would instead fold Williams and Wilmore into the official space station staff — making them part of the routine crew rotation — which set them up to return home with SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.
Agency officials made that decision in lieu of flying a separate mission outside the regular space station schedule, which could have cost millions of dollars.
Steve Stich, the program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, told reporters in August it “just didn’t make sense to go ahead and accelerate a (SpaceX) flight to return Butch and Suni earlier.” He added that NASA “never considered that option” — referring to the idea of flying a separate SpaceX mission dedicated to retrieving Williams and Wilmore rather than returning them aboard a routine, prescheduled flight.
In his latest posts about the matter on X, however, Musk has said SpaceX could have brought Williams and Wilmore home months ago, but the offer was denied for “political reasons.”
A former senior NASA official, however, told CNN that SpaceX never communicated such an offer to agency leadership — and NASA likely would not have entertained the idea regardless.
If Musk had made the offer to someone outside NASA leadership, the source noted, “I’m sure they would have responded and said, ‘Well, that would cost us several $100 million extra that we don’t have for a new Dragon capsule and Falcon 9.’”
Musk has since said that the offer was not made to NASA but was taken directly to the Biden White House, which “refused to allow it.”
It’s unclear why such a deal would be discussed with the White House, which does not typically have any involvement in NASA crew assignments or space station staffing matters.
A former White House staffer did not respond to a request for comment.
When asked about the matter Friday, Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s director of Dragon mission management, said she was not involved in the conversations Musk referred to.
“I’m grateful for the leaders in our nation in the spheres of politics and policy. My sphere is engineering,” Walker said. “What I do know from almost 15 years of working with this exact team, with commercial crew and ISS, is that NASA is always looking at multiple options — every option available for any operation that they may go do — and then many contingency options for when the unexpected inevitably happens.”
Williams and Wilmore react
For their part, Williams and Wilmore have repeatedly said they enjoy their time in space.
“This is my happy place,” Williams said in September. “I love being up here in space. It’s just fun. You know, every day you do something that’s work, quote, unquote, you can do it upside down. You can do it sideways, so it adds a little different perspective.”
The duo has also sought to dispel accusations that the Biden administration left them behind.
While acknowledging that there have been difficult parts to the mission, Williams and Wilmore have repeatedly sought to express they were well-prepared to extend their stay in space and were not abandoned.
“We have plenty of clothes. We are well-fed,” Wilmore said in January.
Williams added, “It’s just a great team and — no, it doesn’t feel like we’re castaways.
“Eventually we want to go home,” she added, “because we left our families a little while ago, but we have a lot to do while we’re up here.”
Still, Wilmore added fuel to speculation about Musk’s claims regarding an offer to return the astronauts early during a March 4 news conference conducted from the International Space Station.
“I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says is absolutely factual,” Wilmore said.
However, he added, “We have no information on (a deal SpaceX may have offered), though, whatsoever. What was offered, what was not offered, who was offered to, how that process went — that’s information that we simply don’t have.”
How Crew-9 is bringing Williams and Wilmore home
The SpaceX capsule that will serve as Williams and Wilmore’s ride home from the space station launched in September, with Crew-9’s Hague and Gorbunov flying a SpaceX Dragon with two empty seats for Williams and Wilmore.
The four astronauts have since been engaged in typical station activity — conducting spacewalks, carrying out science experiments and keeping up with routine space station maintenance. Williams even took over as commander of the space station.
The timing of Williams and Wilmore’s return trip has always been contingent on the successful launch of the Crew-10 mission. NASA has maintained that two crews are needed to undergo a handover period because it’s essential to space station operations.
Allowing Crew-9 to return before Crew-10 would also have left only one US astronaut on board the space station — NASA’s Don Pettit, who arrived on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in September. NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos space agency jointly operate the orbiting laboratory with the European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Canadian Space Agency.
NASA aims to keep at least four astronauts from the United States or partner space agencies on board the space station at all times.
With a possible government shutdown looming, NASA spokesperson Steve Siceloff told CNN that the Crew-10 mission would not be impacted because it’s deemed “mission critical.”
“You may see some changes to the broadcast channel if a shutdown does happen,” he said, referring to NASA TV. “It wouldn’t be a situation where there’s no signal but you would just probably see less of it,” he added.
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