NASA Delays SpaceX Crew-10 Launch To Finalize a New Dragon Spacecraft

The launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 to the International Space Station has been deferred to March 2025 to finalize a new Dragon spacecraft.

The crew, training in Houston, includes representatives from NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos. Crew-9 will return to Earth following Crew-10’s arrival, aiding in a seamless transition of space station operations.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Rescheduled

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is now scheduled to launch no earlier than late March 2025, carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

The revised timeline allows NASA and SpaceX additional time to complete processing of a new Dragon spacecraft designated for the mission. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at SpaceX’s processing facility in Florida in early January.

Careful Coordination and Decision-Making

“Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” said Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight.”

NASA and SpaceX assessed various options for managing the next crewed handover, including using another Dragon spacecraft and manifest adjustments. After careful consideration, the team determined that launching Crew-10 in late March, following completion of the new Dragon spacecraft, was the best option for meeting NASA’s requirements and achieving space station objectives for 2025.

Training for Crew-10 Astronauts

NASA astronauts Anne McClain, commander, and Nichole Ayers, pilot; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, mission specialist; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov continue training for the Crew-10 mission at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will return to Earth following the arrival of Crew-10 to the orbital laboratory. Known as a handover period, it allows Crew-9 to share any lessons learned with the newly arrived crew and support a better transition for ongoing science and maintenance at the complex.

Expedition 72: Research and Resupply Updates

Crew-9, along with the full space station crew of Expedition 72, are focused on completing research aboard the microgravity laboratory, and are preparing for upcoming spacewalks. The space station recently received two resupply flights in November and is well-stocked with everything the crew needs, including food, water, clothing, and oxygen. The resupply spacecraft also carried special items for the crew to celebrate the holidays aboard the orbital platform.

Expedition 72 will end with the undocking and return of the Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Expedition crews regularly spend long-duration missions aboard the space station, with average stays lasting about six months. Several people have supported longer missions, extending to about a year, to help the agency learn more about how humans adapt to spaceflight to prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.