NASA and SpaceX have rescheduled the Crew-10 mission to launch on Friday, March 14, 2025, at 7:03 PM EDT after a technical issue forced a delay earlier in the week.
The initial launch attempt on Wednesday, March 12 was aborted just 44 minutes before liftoff due to a hydraulic issue in a stabilizing clamp.
Read more: SpaceX Starship Explodes During Test Flight, Causing Flight Delays
The mission will send four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS): Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers from NASA, Takuya Onishi from Japan’s JAXA, and Kirill Peskov from Russia’s Roscosmos. While McClain is making her second spaceflight, the others are embarking on their first journey to space.
A major goal of Crew-10 is to assist in the return of NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who have been stranded on the ISS since June 2024 due to problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Originally intended for a short stay, their mission was unexpectedly extended. Once Crew-10 reaches the ISS, Wilmore and Williams will return to Earth.
The Crew-10 mission will utilize SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, “Endurance”, which has been successfully used on previous missions. NASA and SpaceX opted to reuse the capsule to expedite the mission and ensure Wilmore and Williams’ swift return.
During their time aboard the ISS, the Crew-10 astronauts will conduct scientific research to support future deep-space exploration.
The launch will take place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and after liftoff, the rocket’s first stage will land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
For viewers in Pakistan, the launch will occur at 4:03 AM PKT on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
This mission highlights global collaboration in space exploration, bringing together astronauts from NASA, Japan, and Russia to work on critical research aboard the ISS.
