Topline
SpaceX canceled a ship launch Wednesday that is part of a mission to bring back two astronauts who have been on the International Space Station for nine months after the Boeing spacecraft they arrived in was deemed unsafe over helium leaks and thruster issues.
Key Facts
Wednesdayâs planned launch of SpaceXâs Crew-10 mission, which was scrubbed due to a “hydraulic ground issue,â was supposed to send a four-person crew to the International Space Station using SpaceXâs Dragon spacecraft, which has logged 49 missions and 44 visits to the station, according to SpaceX.
It is unclear when the launch could be rescheduled for.
Crew-10 is slated to conduct space research after it arrives at the station, relieving the stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, from their work.
Crew-9, a two-man crew that launched in September, was designated to take Wilmore and Williams home as early as March 16, though it is unclear how far Wednesdayâs scrubbed launch may push back their return.
The Crew-9 ship commandeered by Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov could have brought back Wilmore and Williams after reaching the International Space Station in September, but doing so would have left the facility understaffed, according to The New York Times.
If Wilmore and Williams make the return trip to Earth next week, they will have spent a little over nine months on the International Space Station, much longer than the mere eight to 10 days they were initially supposed to be on the station for last year.
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Crucial Quote
NASAâs Anne McClain, the Crew-10 commander, thanked mission control for its efforts Wednesday, saying, âWeâll be ready when the equipment is.â
Big Number
280 days. That is how long Wilmore and Williams have been on the International Space Station.
Key Background
Wilmore and Williams made the trip to the International Space Station last year in a Boeing Starliner. Their return to Earth was delayed after officials noted helium leaks and thruster issues with the Starliner, which was later deemed unsafe for a manned trip back to Earth and made an unmanned return trip to the planetâs surface in September. NASA opted for SpaceXâs Crew Dragon capsule to bring the stranded astronauts back. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk later baselessly suggested the astronauts were left in orbit âfor political reasons,â referring to the Biden administration. Musk also said the return of Wilmore and Williams was âpostponed kind of to a ridiculous degree,â backing up President Donald Trump, who claimed without evidence the Biden administration abandoned the astronauts and was going to âleave them in space.â The astronauts later replied to Trumpâs comments in an interview with CNN, with Williams saying, âI donât think those words are quite accurateâŠWe are part of something bigger than ourselves, we are part of the International Space Station.â
Further Reading
SpaceX Launches Ship To Bring Back Astronauts Stranded On International Space Station (Forbes)