NASA is waiting to see if there will be “impacts” on the planning of its next astronaut mission aboard SpaceX after a rocket failure last week, the agency said in a recent statement.
SpaceXThe US Falcon 9 rocket experienced a rare anomaly during a Sterlink satellite launch on Thursday (July 11). The second stage of the rocket did not work as plannedthe broadband freeze satellites in an unusual orbit. While SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigate why this happened, International Space Station (ISS) mission is being closely scrutinized.
Falcon 9 is also used for sending NASA astronaut missions to the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. The next planned attempt, known as Crew 9, is scheduled to send four astronauts into space in mid-August. The group will replace Crew 8, which has been on the ISS since March for what is expected to be a mission of about six months.
“The safety of the crew and ensuring the mission are top priorities for NASA,” agency officials said in an emailed statement Friday night (July 12), adding that they “will provide updates on the agency’s missions, including potential impacts to planning, as appropriate, as more information becomes available.” SpaceX, the statement added, has been providing information to NASA as the investigation into the anomaly continues.
Related: FAA Investigates SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Failure
ISS missions, which typically last six months, have built-in flexibility if they need to stay on the ISS longer. roomHowever, SpaceX is the only fully certified spacecraft to send astronauts into space from American soil.
The other manned option is Boeing’s Sterlinerbut it has not yet been approved for operational ISS launches. A test mission, known as Crew Flight Test, is currently aboard ISS with two astronauts. Starliner is certified to return to Soilbut only in case of emergency; a complex investigation is underway after Starliner experienced problems with helium leaks and thrusters after docking with the ISS on June 6. The mission was only supposed to last 10 days, but because of the problems, no landing date has been scheduled yet.
Related: When will Starliner come home? Boeing and NASA still don’t know
In addition, SpaceX sends some of the vital supply missions to the ISS via its Cargo Dragon spacecraft. Cargo Dragon also uses the Falcon 9 rocket. The latest such docking, SpaceX’s 30th, took place on March 4 with food, supplies and experiments for the crew of Expedition 70/71.
However, other spacecraft can also send cargo to the ISS, including those from Northrop Grumman. Swan and Russia ProgressThe next Progress launch is scheduled for August 15, the Russian Federal Space Agency said Rose Quartz announced last week via state news channel TASS.
In addition to the ISS, SpaceX is also expected to send a commercial astronaut mission into space this month using Crew Dragon and Falcon 9. Known as Polaris DawnThe effort – funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman – plans a high-Earth orbit mission that would be the first commercial space walk. Isaacman flew the same vehicles into space in 2021 on another mission he funded, called Inspiration4.
“SpaceX has an incredible track record with Falcon 9. I can say from my own experience that they are very transparent when issues arise,” Isaacman said in a post on Xformerly Twitter, last week. “I have no doubt they will find a solution quickly and ensure the most cost-effective and reliable launch vehicle continues to deliver the payload to orbit. As for Polaris Dawn, we will fly when SpaceX is ready and with complete confidence in the rocket, spacecraft and operations.”