On Wednesday, NASA and SpaceX announced the cancellation of the launch attempt for the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station due to a hydraulic system issue involving a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 39A in Florida's Kennedy Space Center. They indicated that the next possible launch opportunity would be no earlier than 5:00 AM (IST) on March 15, pending a review of the identified issue.

NASA stated that launch coverage would commence at 12:30 AM on Saturday (IST), with docking targeted for 9:00 AM (IST) on March 15. A crew of four was set to travel to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for a six-month stay, primarily to bring back Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams, as reported by Fox News.

According to NASA, if the Crew-10 launch were to occur on March 13, the Crew-9 mission, which includes NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, would leave the space station no earlier than 9:05 AM on Monday, March 17, depending on the weather conditions at the splashdown locations off the Florida coast. They highlighted that Crew-10 would mark the 10th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 11th crewed flight to the space station under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Ahead of the scheduled launch, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared a supportive video message for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission. He expressed his thoughts and prayers for the crew and conveyed his eagerness to welcome them home soon. 

Hegseth also relayed a message from former President Trump, who urged Elon Musk to expedite the return of the astronauts. He mentioned that they were bringing home retired US Navy Captains Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who had been stranded on the ISS for nine months, far beyond their original one-week stay after being transported there aboard Boeing's Starliner, which returned unmanned in September due to several issues.

Former President Trump had criticized President Biden for allegedly leaving the astronauts behind in space and had authorized Musk to arrange their return. During a press conference at the Oval Office, he expressed his commitment to retrieving them and conveyed his frustration over their extended stay on the ISS. Trump recounted his conversations with Musk about the capability to rescue the astronauts, mentioning Musk's readiness with a starship for the operation. He also commented on the unique qualities of Sunita Williams, highlighting her determination and the dangers faced in space, ultimately promising to greet the astronauts upon their return.