SpaceX scrubs astronaut flight that was to retrieve stuck astronauts

[highplainsdem]

Last edited Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:09 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Reuters

SpaceX on Wednesday scrubbed the expected launch of a replacement crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station that would have set in motion the long-awaited homecoming of U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space for nine months after a trip on Boeing's faulty Starliner.

NASA had been set to launch a SpaceX rocket from Florida carrying a replacement crew for the International Space Station in a mission that would set up the return to Earth of Wilmore and Williams - stuck in space for nine months after a trip on Boeing's (BA.N), opens new tab faulty Starliner.

The launch was called off due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket, NASA said in a statement.

NASA said the next available launch opportunity is no earlier than 7:26 p.m. EDT (2326 GMT) Thursday, pending review of the issue. With a Thursday Crew-10 launch, the Crew-9 mission would depart the space station on Monday, March 17, it said.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/spacex-nasa-set-astronaut-flight-that-will-retrieve-stuck-astronauts-2025-03-12/

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The original headline and first 4 paragraphs of the story are above.

That was posted at 10:15 Central time. Now, at 11:08 Central time, the headline and story have been revised:

NASA, SpaceX delay flight that was to retrieve stuck astronauts
By Joey Roulette
March 12, 202510:39 PM CDT Updated 20 min ago


NASA and SpaceX on Wednesday delayed the launch of a replacement crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station that would have set in motion the long-awaited homecoming of U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

NASA had been set to launch a SpaceX rocket from Florida carrying a replacement crew for the International Space Station in a mission that would set up the return to Earth of Wilmore and Williams - stuck in space for nine months after a trip on Boeing's (BA.N) faulty Starliner.

The launch was called off due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket, NASA said in a statement.

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NASA said it is now targeting a launch no earlier than 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT) Friday after mission managers put off a launch attempt on Thursday because of high winds and rain forecast in the flight path of Dragon.

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