NASA, SpaceX Delay Flight Meant to Retrieve Stranded Astronauts

NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of a replacement crew that was set to retrieve U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the International Space Station for nine months due to Boeing’s faulty Starliner spacecraft.

The mission, originally scheduled to depart from Florida, was postponed due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm on the Falcon 9 rocket.

A second launch attempt was also scrapped because of high winds and rain along the flight path, further pushing back the return of Wilmore and Williams.

NASA has now set a new target launch date for Friday, March 14, at 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT), but the schedule remains tentative, pending technical fixes and weather conditions.

The delay prolongs the uncertainty surrounding Wilmore and Williams’ return to Earth as Boeing’s Starliner continues to face reliability issues, raising concerns over the future of U.S. spaceflight operations.