The Roscosmos State Corporation, citing NASA, announced the postponement of the launch of the American Crew Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-10 crew, which includes cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, to the ISS. The launch has been postponed from February to the end of March 2025.
In addition to Kirill Peskov, the crew includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, and JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi. In this regard, the return of the Crew Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-9 crew, which includes Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Barry Wilmore, and Sunita Williams, from the ISS to Earth has been postponed for the same period.
The flight will take place under the agreement on cross-flights between Roscosmos and NASA. Roscosmos notes that the implementation of the agreement allows, in the event of cancellation or significant delay in the launch of a Russian or American spacecraft, to ensure the presence on board the ISS of at least one Roscosmos cosmonaut and one NASA astronaut. This ensures that the Russian and American parts of the station are supported in optimal condition. Now the balance of power is maintained and everything is in order.
It is worth noting that NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams were supposed to return to Earth before June 20, 2024. They arrived at the ISS testing Boeing Starliner — a new spacecraft from aircraft manufacturers Boeing, created under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It was its first flight, and malfunctions were detected in the spacecraft on the way to the ISS.
Later it turned out that problems in the maneuvering engine and helium leaks in the service module would not allow the crew members to get home alive. Therefore, the astronauts' stay on the ISS has increased significantly. Earlier in August 2024, American businessman Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, stated in his account on X (formerly Twitter) that Russia could help return the American crew stuck on the ISS. It is unknown whether NASA had negotiations with Roscosmos on this matter, and how they eventually ended.
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