SpaceX launch scrubbed hours after Hegseth shares message to rescue mission crew: ‘Wish you Godspeed’
FOX News2 days ago
SpaceX Delays Flight to Retrieve Stuck NASA Astronauts
Above: Suni Williams delivers remarks via video from the International Space Station during a reception at the White House on Oct. 28, 2024. Image copyright: Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
SpaceX and NASA postponed the launch of Crew-10 to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday due to high winds, precipitation, and a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm that holds the Falcon 9 rocket to its launch tower. The next attempt is scheduled for Friday at 7:03 pm EDT.
The Crew-10 mission will transport NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi, and Russia's Kirill Peskov to the ISS for a six-month stay, replacing the current Crew-9 team including Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Wilmore and Williams have been aboard the ISS since June 2024, when their original eight-day Boeing Starliner test mission was extended after the spacecraft experienced multiple helium propulsion system leaks and thruster issues.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Wilmore and Williams' extended stay and unnecessary delays in bringing them back are a failure of leadership. Former Pres. Joe Biden is solely responsible for stalling their rescue by rejecting SpaceX's previous offers to get the duo home.
Democratic narrative
The mission extension was a carefully planned operational decision to maintain proper staffing levels on the ISS and ensure critical research and maintenance could continue. In fact, NASA prioritized crew safety over unnecessary political pressure for an early return.