NASA has postponed the launch of SpaceX Crew 10, which was originally scheduled for February 2025. The new expected launch date is now late March 2025. This delay impacts the return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were supposed to come back to Earth as part of the SpaceX Crew 9 mission.
Williams and Wilmore, who launched into space on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, have been stuck in space for months after NASA decided to replace the faulty Starliner with a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The two astronauts are now expected to return only after Crew 10 reaches the International Space Station, making their return likely in late March or April 2025.
During a video call in January, Sunita Williams shared that, despite wanting to return to Earth, they had plenty of work to do in space. Butch Wilmore echoed similar sentiments, noting their mission’s extended duration and their ongoing tasks in space.
NASA explained the delay as necessary to allow SpaceX more time to prepare the new Dragon capsule for launch. While the agency had considered using an alternative capsule to keep the schedule intact, they ultimately chose to wait for the new spacecraft to meet mission objectives. NASA officials noted that overlapping crews at the space station are crucial for smooth transitions and operational continuity.
