Bubble trouble in hydraulics blamed for NASA and SpaceX Crew-10 scrub

The hydraulic problem that kept the next International Space Station (ISS) crew on the ground this week was likely due to trapped air in the system.

NASA confirmed the issue had been resolved on the eve of the second attempt to launch the Crew-10 mission from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The first attempt was scrubbed at approximately T-44 minutes on Wednesday, March 12, when engineers could not clear an issue with the ground support hydraulics system used for the clamp arm supporting the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Managers opted to scrub the launch before the crew access arm was retracted and propellant loaded.

A second launch opportunity on Thursday, March 13, was skipped owing to weather concerns, which also gave engineers more time to work on the problem with the hydraulics. According to NASA, SpaceX ground teams completed the system inspections and successfully ...