A last-minute technical issue with the launchpad forced SpaceX to postpone its Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, delaying the long-awaited return of two astronauts stranded in orbit for nine months, Reuters reported.

The Crew-10 launch, set for 7:48 pm ET (2348 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center, was meant to transport a replacement crew of four astronauts — two from NASA, one from JAXA, and one from Roscosmos. Their arrival would have allowed NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to finally leave the ISS after being stuck there due to Boeing’s Starliner suffering propulsion failures.

NASA and SpaceX have not yet announced a new launch date, but officials suggest an attempt could be made in the coming days.

The original plan saw Wilmore and Williams spending only eight days aboard the ISS after their arrival in June. However, Starliner returned to Earth without them last year, and NASA ruled it unsafe for their return. Instead, they have continued working on research and maintenance while waiting for a viable transport home.

The mission has become politically charged, with US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk pressuring NASA to accelerate the return of Wilmore and Williams. The launch was moved forward by two weeks, though NASA insists it was a routine operational decision.

Once Crew-10 successfully arrives, Wilmore and Williams — along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—will return to Earth in the Crew-9 capsule, which has been docked at the ISS since September.

Williams, reflecting on her prolonged stay, said she is eager to see her family and pet dogs, adding, “Every day is interesting because we’re up in space, and it’s a lot of fun.”