The Substance Is Being Used Heavily In Hospitals To Treat COVID-19

Gwynne Shotwell, President, SpaceX, said the company was running low on liquid oxygen for launching their rockets. Shotwell said that liquid oxygen shortages were presenting the company with challenges, and that people should email her if they have any extra.

"We're actually going to be impacted this year with the lack of liquid oxygen for launch," Shotwell said during a Space Symposium panel, per a video uploaded to YouTube by ExpovistaTV. "We certainly are going to make sure hospitals have the liquid oxygen they need," she said.

"For anybody that has liquid oxygen to spare, would you send me an email?" she added. Liquid oxygen is also used to treat COVID-19 patients in hospitals, linking the shortage to the latest uptick in COVID cases.

The substance is key to providing the thrust required for liftoff of the SpaceX rockets, as liquid oxygen combined with cryogenic liquid methane is what fuels SpaceX’s raptor engines. Currently, there are 1,600 Starlink satellites in orbit with authorization to launch up to 42,000.

In 2021, SpaceX has launched 15 Falcon 9 rockets.

In hospitals, the substance is used to help with the treatment of COVID-19. Hospitals use the substance as a source of oxygen in ventilators. In Orlando on Friday, the city asked residents to limit their water usage so that more liquid oxygen could reach the hospitals.

In addition to this shortage, Shotwell, also SpaceX’s COO, said that the worldwide microchip shortage had delayed new user terminals for Starlink. Elon Musk said earlier this week on Twitter that SpaceX has shipped 100,000 user Starlink terminals.

FMI: www.space.com