NASA and SpaceX prepare for Crew-9 Launch

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA and SpaceX are now planning to launch Crew-9 to the International Space Station no earlier than Aug. 18.

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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is just returning to flight after a mishap earlier this month led the FAA to ground the rocket.

Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s Director of Dragon Mission Management said, “Yesterday the FAA formally approved us to return to flight they agree with the conclusions of our investigation and the actions taken which is really good news. We expect Falcon 9 to return to flight this evening from Launch Complex 39A.”

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SpaceX is planning to launch a batch of Starlink satellite for the first time since a July 11.

There was a mishap after launching a group of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The mission started normally, but there was an oxygen leak on that second stage caused by a crack in a line attached to a pressure sensor.

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SpaceX said the leak caused excessive cooling of engine parts, which left the rocket without enough fuel to burn properly. SpaceX already has a work around.

Walker said. “For the near-term Falcon launches we just removed this sense line, the sensor from the second-stage engine. It’s not related to the flight safety system.”

Steve Stitch the Manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program told reporters that teams will work through all the data.

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But, before Crew-9 launches to the ISS, NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts must also return.

That’s because NASA needs the docking space.  Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on the CFT mission on June 5, 2024, aboard a Boeing Starliner.  NASA and Boeing are investigating helium leaks and thruster issues that cropped up during the flight before settling on a return date for the crew.

Ken Bowersox, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Operations said, “We’ve never had so many vehicles and so many options. It complicates our lives but in a really good way. But it causes us to work harder for us to balance all the things we need to do.”

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