NASA and SpaceX are standing down from this week’s Falcon 9 launch of the CRS-25 cargo mission to the International Space Station. Officials from NASA and SpaceX met today to discuss an issue identified over the weekend and the best path forward.
During propellant loading of the Dragon spacecraft, elevated vapor readings of mono-methyl hydrazine (MMH) were measured in an isolated region of the Draco thruster propulsion system. The propellant and oxidizer have been offloaded from that region to support further inspections and testing. Once the exact source of the elevated readings is identified and cause is determined, the joint NASA and SpaceX teams will determine and announce a new target launch date.
A portion of the SpaceX Cargo Dragon vehicle is pictured at lower left as the International Space Station orbited 264 miles above northern France in September of 2021. The long-exposure photograph also reveals Earth's atmospheric glow and stars above the horizon.
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Astronaut Kayla Barron, posing with astronauts (from left) Samantha Cristoforetti, and Jessica Watkins, is pictured in her SpaceX flight suit moments before boarding the Dragon Endurance crew ship and departing for Earth on May 5, 2022.
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Our astronauts are home! 👩🚀
At 12:43 a.m. EDT (04:43 UTC) on May 6, @SpaceX's Dragon Endurance spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Florida, wrapping up our #Crew3 mission's 177 days in orbit.
Our four Crew-3 astronauts—Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and the @EuropeanSpaceAgency's Matthias Maurer—spent their time on the @ISS running experiments and testing technologies to make life better on our home planet. They also talked with students, took pictures of the Earth, and shared what it's like to live in space as we work to open spaceflight to humanity.
That's not the end of the story, though: our Crew-4 astronauts are already on the station, beginning their own journey on our orbiting laboratory. Keep following us to learn about the latest breakthroughs from across the universe!
CREDIT: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
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SpaceX Crew-4 Commander Kjell Lindgren, Pilot Bob Hines, and Mission Specialists Jessica Watkins and Samantha Cristoforetti are in orbit following their launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 3:52 a.m. EDT today from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The commercial crew quartet aboard the SpaceX Dragon Freedom crew ship are due to dock to the space-facing port on the International Space Station's Harmony module at 8:15 p.m. today. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
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The fantastic #Crew4 sets on their journey to the space station! At 3:52 a.m. ET (7:52 UTC), four astronauts aboard the @SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom launched from @NASAKennedy atop a Falcon 9 rocket on their way to the @ISS. Astronauts @Astro_Kjell, @Astro_FarmerBob, @Astro_Watkins, and @EuropeanSpaceAgency’s Samantha Cristoforetti will spend six months aboard the orbiting lab. They will conduct scientific research in areas such as medical technology, human health, and materials to benefit life on Earth—while enabling us to prepare for human exploration to the Moon and Mars. Four Fun Facts: Crew-4 is our fourth rotational mission with SpaceX, launching four crew members, in the fourth month of the year, on a fourth-flight booster – a first for Commercial Crew and a huge accomplishment for the team and industry. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani #NASA#Launch#Astronauts#SpaceX#Dragon#CapeCanaveral#Kennedy#Space#ISS#SpaceStation#ESA
Four astronauts are launching to the International Space Station! Their names are Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti.
(And p.s., it’s Samantha’s birthday today 🥳)
They are launching April 27 at 3:52 a.m. ET, 7:52 UTC. After launch, they’ll spend six months aboard the @iss conducting science experiments to help improve life on Earth, and help extend our knowledge about living in space long-term.
Want to watch them launch into space?! We’ll be airing launch and docking on NASA TV. Until then, get to know the crew!
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