NASA
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of the Cargo Dragon spacecraft by at least two weeks due to an issue with the pre-launch overloaded thrusters.
The space agency had planned to launch the spacecraft on June 12 but announced the delay in an email Monday night to reporters.
“During loading of the Cargo Dragon spacecraft thruster, elevated readings of monomethyl hydrazine vapor were measured in an isolated region of the Draco thruster system,” the space agency’s statement said. “The propellant and oxidizer were discharged from this area to support further inspections and testing.”
Draco engines provide thrust to maneuver in orbit for the Dragon spacecraft. NASA said it is working with SpaceX to identify the source of the high readings and take corrective action. On Tuesday morning, Mission Control in Houston notified astronauts aboard the International Space Station that the launch date would be pushed back to at least June 28.
This is not the new Dragon vehicle. Designated as the “C208” Dragon, this vehicle has already performed two resupply missions, both in 2021. It is an upgraded version of the original Cargo Dragon spacecraft, known as “Cargo Dragon 2”.
NASA will want to study this carefully, as this Cargo Dragon version’s propulsion system has a lot in common with the Crew Dragon, which also uses Draco engines and the same hyperthrusters. However, there should be plenty of time for this to work, as the upcoming launch of Crew Dragon, which carries the “Crew 5 mission”, is not expected until September.
These Draco thrusters have much less thrust than the SuperDraco thrusters that are used to power the Crew Dragon’s launch escape system. During a test in April 2019, an oxidant leaked before ignition of these SuperDraco engines lead to explosion Who destroyed the spaceship. No one is hurt.
The Cargo Dragon does not have these SuperDraco engines, but nonetheless, NASA and SpaceX will want to understand any issues with the latest leak before they release supplies or people.
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