NASA SpaceX Crew-10 plans to launch the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station no earlier than the end of March 2025, UNN reports, citing NASA.
Details
The rescheduling of the Crew-10 launch gives NASA and SpaceX teams time to complete the processing of the new Dragon spacecraft for the mission. The new spacecraft is due to arrive at the company's processing plant in Florida in early January.
“Manufacturing, assembling, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking job that requires great attention to detail,” said Steve Stich, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager.
We appreciate the hard work of the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet to support our missions, and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule's flight readiness
The companies evaluated various options for managing the next crew transfer, including the use of another Dragon spacecraft and adjustments to the manifest.
After careful consideration, the team determined that launching Crew-10 at the end of March after the completion of the new Dragon spacecraft is the best option to meet NASA's requirements and achieve the space station's goals by 2025.
Crew 9, along with the full Expedition 72 space station team, are focused on completing research in the microgravity laboratory and preparing for future spacewalks.
The space station recently hosted two resupply flights in November and is well stocked with everything the crew needs, including food, water, clothing and oxygen.
Expedition 72 will end with the undocking and return of the Soyuz spacecraft with NASA astronaut Don Petit. Expedition crews regularly conduct long-term missions aboard the space station, with an average duration of about six months.
Several people supported longer missions that lasted 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.
Recall
NASA has postponed the manned Artemis 3 mission to land on the Moon until mid-2027 due to technical problems. The reason for the postponement was difficulties with the spacecraft's heat shield.