NASA is waiting to see if there will be “planned impacts” to its next astronaut mission aboard SpaceX after a rocket failure last week, the agency said in a recent statement.
SpaceXThe Falcon 9 rocket had a rare anomaly during a Starlink satellite launch on Thursday (July 11). The second stage in the rocket it didn’t work out as plannedblocking broadband the satellites in an unusual orbit. While SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigate why this happened, a International Space Station The mission (ISS) is under observation.
Falcon 9 also used to send NASA Astronaut missions to the ISS aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship. The next planned attempt, known as Crew-9, was supposed to send four astronauts in mid-August. The group will relieve Crew-8, which has been on the ISS since March for what was expected to be about a half-year mission.
“Crew safety and mission safety are top priorities for NASA,” agency officials said in an emailed statement late Friday (July 12), adding that they would “provide updates on the agency’s missions including possible schedule impacts, if any, as more information becomes available.” SpaceX, the statement added, has provided information to NASA as the investigation of the anomalies continues.
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ISS missions, which typically last six months at a time, have built-in flexibility if they need to stay longer on ROOM. However, SpaceX is the only fully certified spacecraft to send astronauts into space from US soil.
The other manned option is that of Boeing Starliner, but has not yet been approved for operational ISS launches. A test mission, known as the Crew Flight Test, is aboard the ISS now with two astronauts. The Starliner has been certified to return earth, but only in case of emergency; a complex investigation is ongoing after the Starliner experienced problems with helium and propellant leaks after docking with the ISS on June 6. The mission was supposed to last only 10 days, but due to problems, a landing date has not yet been set.
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In addition, SpaceX sends a portion of vital supply missions to the ISS via its Dragon spacecraft. Cargo Dragon also uses the Falcon 9 rocket. The latest such document, SpaceX’s 30th, took place on March 4 with food, supplies and experiments for the crew of Expedition 70/71.
Other spacecraft can deliver cargo to the ISS, however, including Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus and Russia Progress. The next Progress launch is scheduled for August 15, the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos announced last week through the state news agency TASS.
In addition to the ISS, SpaceX is also supposed to send a commercial astronaut mission into space this month with Crew Dragon and Falcon 9. Known as Polaris dawnthe effort — funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman — plans a high-Earth orbit mission that will feature the first commercial space walk. Isaacman put the same vehicles into space in 2021 on another mission he funded, called Inspiration 4.
“SpaceX has an incredible track record with the Falcon 9. I can say from personal experience that they are very transparent when problems arise,” Isaacman said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, last week. “I have no doubt that they will come to a conclusion quickly and ensure that the most cost-effective and reliable launch vehicle continues to send cargo into orbit. As for Polaris Dawn, we will fly whenever SpaceX is ready and with full confidence in the rocket, the spacecraft, and the operations.”