Two active-duty U.S. military officers will be part of the SpaceX Crew-10’s upcoming mission to the International Space Station. In addition to transporting astronauts who will remain at the International Space Station for six months, the SpaceX Crew-10 will also bring back two NASA astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station since last June.
According to Fox News, officials confirmed that SpaceX and NASA delayed the launch of the Crew-10, which was initially scheduled for Wednesday, due to a hydraulic issue.
In a statement on its website, SpaceX wrote, “SpaceX and NASA are targeting no earlier than Friday, March 14 for Falcon 9’s launch of Dragon’s 10th operational human spaceflight mission (Crew-10) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch is targeted for 7:03 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Saturday, March 15 at 6:41 p.m. ET.”
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In a video shared on social media ahead of the SpaceX launch that was originally scheduled for Wednesday night, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addressed the Space X Crew 10, saying, “I just want to take a brief moment to say we are praying for you. We wish you Godspeed, and we look forward to welcoming you all home soon.”
The secretary of defense noted that multiple branches of the U.S. military would be represented in the latest crew, which is a partnership between SpaceX and NASA. Hegseth said two active-duty U.S. military officers would be part of the crew and that there would be representation from the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
A Wednesday press release by the U.S. Department of Defense identified Army Col. Anne McClain and Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers as the active-duty military officers who will be a part of the SpaceX crew.
Wednesday’s press release explained that the latest space mission comes after President Donald Trump “called for the safe return from the ISS of NASA astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Suni Williams — both retired U.S. Navy captains — whose return to Earth was delayed after Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft hit technical snags.”
According to Fox News, Wilmore and Williams have been stranded for approximately nine months and were only expected to stay on the International Space Station for a week last June. According to the outlet, the astronauts were stranded on the International Space Station after the Boeing Starliner experienced “issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters” and “helium leaks” while the spacecraft was docking with the International Space Station.
Source: American Military News
