NASA will conduct its own reauthorization for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 before the rocket launches its next astronaut crew or cargo mission, the agency confirmed Wednesday (July 17).
Falcon 9 a rare malfunction experienced during an engine combustion SpaceX The rocket’s second stage failed due to an oxygen leak during a launch on Thursday (July 11). A mandatory accident investigation is underway. However, SpaceX asked the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday (July 15) to allow future launches under a “public safety determination,” meaning the launch did not pose a risk to public safety.
SpaceX’s short-term launch manifesto states NASAthe next International Space Station astronaut rotation. Called Crew 9, it is scheduled to send four astronauts to the ISS as early as mid-August. But NASA program manager Dana Weigel said the agency “will have its own process that is outside of what the FAA does,” even if the administration rules in favor of SpaceX’s request.
“The FAA must complete its work and allow SpaceX to launch [first]”, she told Space.com during a livestreamed ISS briefing on Wednesday (July 17). While she noted that there are differences in the way Falcon 9 is configured for satellites and for humans, NASA will nevertheless “take a closer look” independently of the FAA.
Weigel added that supplies of food, water and other consumables on the ISS are “in good shape” for the next four months. Another major cargo provider, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, also using Falcon 9 and is scheduled to launch Aug. 3. That launch should bring hardware to address an ailing urine processor on the ISS, Weigel said. “I’m tracking critical components that I want on board soon,” she noted.
In an emailed statement, a NASA public affairs officer told Space.com that SpaceX is working with the agency to reauthorize Falcon 9 for ISS flights. “Crew safety and mission assurance are top priorities for NASA. SpaceX has kept the agency informed as it works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration throughout the investigation, including implementing any corrective actions needed for future agency missions,” the statement said.
“NASA and its partners will also implement the standard flight readiness process to ensure we conduct our crew missions as safely as possible.”
Related: SpaceX aims to resume Falcon 9 rocket launches while FAA completes investigation
SpaceX has sent eight NASA-led astronaut crews to the ISS, along with three short-term missions for Axiom Space. These all ride on board Crew Dragonwhich uses a human-capable variant of the Falcon 9.
Falcon 9 is the world’s most popular launch vehicle, having failed only twice in 366 launches over 14 years, according to SpaceX figures. It also launches cargo missions to the ISS, satellites for NASA and the US military, and countless other missions.
SpaceX stressed that it is working closely with NASA during the investigation. “I’m grateful that we have this framework to work through when you have these types of events,” Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s director of Dragon mission management, said in the same press conference. “This is our highest priority as a company right now,” she added.
The process at NASA is “not only to determine the specific cause of the observed problem, but also to take appropriate actions to prevent it from happening again in the future.” [and] “How would it compare to another system,” she added.
SpaceX’s near-term commitments for launch include bringing the private Polaris Dawn crew into space aboard the Falcon 9; that mission, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, is scheduled to launch on July 31. Walker said it was too early to predict the schedule, but promised that SpaceX would share information “if there is any impact to launch dates in the near term.”
“We know,” she added, “how to go through the different phases of this process. It’s a joint investigation committee … between our government customers and the FAA and SpaceX chief engineers, so there’s more to come.”