Why Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s Fly Back From Space is Delayed? | EXCLUSIVE

New Delhi: In a last-minute, SpaceX scrubbed the highly anticipated launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, which was set to carry a four-member crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, Crew-10, was meant to replace NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded aboard the ISS due to technical issues with their return vehicle. 

According to NASA and SpaceX, the launch attempt was halted due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.  

Speaking exclusively to Republic TV, former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan weighed in on the delay, saying that such occurrences are not unusual in space missions.  

‘Nobody Takes a Chance in Such a Mission’

When asked what led to the postponement, Narayanan explained, "The delay, according to their report, is due to a snag in the hydraulic circuit of the arm, which is connecting the vehicle to the pad. Now, such things do happen because, of course, with every precaution they go to the launch pad. The last 15 minutes or so are given to the computer, and if it holds, then you have to examine what is happening. It probably must have told them this is the reason. You can't take a chance in such a mission. They won't. Never will they take a chance. So they had to stop the launch and postpone it. They have identified the problem, and they are attending to it."  

Narayanan further pointed out that the quick rescheduling of the launch indicated that the issue was minor.  

"Since they have scheduled it for tomorrow, it shows that the problem is minor in nature. Rectifying it may take 10-15 minutes, half an hour, or even an hour. But the next launch slot has to be considered. I think they have mentioned 15:02 PM, which in our time means the 14th morning. In other words, the delay will be about 3-4 days in Sunita Williams’ return to Earth,” he said. 

‘This is a Minor Snag, Nothing to Worry About’

On being asked if this delay could have been avoided, the veteran scientist pointed out that even NASA, despite its vast experience, faces such setbacks.  

"We learn quite a bit in the space business. NASA is an expert in the space business, and even they are facing this problem. We also faced such problems. During the first PSLV launch, the computer held the launch 10-15 minutes before liftoff, and we couldn't initially figure out the reason. But then we found it, rectified it, and launched. These things happening at the launch pad are rare because everything is usually cleared beforehand. But the key thing to remember is that nobody will take a chance,” he said. 

He reassured that this was not a cause for major concern,  

"According to me, this is a minor delay. I wouldn't call it a major delay. It’s just a minor snag, so there’s nothing to worry about. The next thing we have to look forward to is the launch tomorrow, and then docking with the space station on the 17th, I think, or maybe their return on the 17th. These are the critical events we have to wait for. Right now, the take-off is not a reason to worry.”