The launch of SpaceX’s next cargo mission has been postponed for at least an additional two weeks, to no later than July 11.
The mission, called CRS-25, will send a robot SpaceX Dragon capsule towards International Space Station Atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The CRS-25 was originally scheduled to launch on June 10, but NASA and SpaceX pushed the target date back to June 28 after noticing elevated vapor levels of hydrazine — the propellant used by the Draco Draco engines — in part of the spacecraft’s propulsion system. .
Today (June 13) NASA announced that there will be an additional delay for CRS-25.
SpaceX Dragon: The first private spacecraft to reach the space station
“After unloading the fuel from that area [of Dragon’s propulsion system]SpaceX has managed to narrow down the source of the problem to the Draco thruster valve inlet connection,” agency officials Books in today’s update (Opens in a new tab).
They added, “Teams will now remove selected hardware for replacement prior to flight. NASA and SpaceX now target a date no later than July 11 to launch the CRS-25 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station.”
CRS-25 will be the 25th unmanned resupply mission SpaceX Fly to NASA’s orbiting laboratory. The company has also entered into a contract with the agency to transport astronauts to and from the station and has launched five such manned missions so far, counting a two-person test flight launched in May 2020.
The CRS-25 will not be the first flight of the designated Dragon capsule. The spacecraft was also launched on cargo missions to the station in December 2020 and August 2021.
Mike Wall is the author of “Abroad (Opens in a new tab)Book (Great Grand Publishing House, 2018; illustrated by Carl Tate), a book on the search for extraterrestrials. Follow him on Twitter Tweet embed (Opens in a new tab). Follow us on Twitter Tweet embed (Opens in a new tab) or on Facebook (Opens in a new tab).