Fuel-Leak Postpones Cargo Mission to ISS

NASA and SpaceX are standing down from a planned, Falcon-9 launch of the CRS-25 cargo mission to the International Space Station.

The Space agency announced the delay last week, citing a possible fuel leak with the Dragon spacecraft. The launch was to have been SpaceX’s 25th cargo mission to the ISS in 2022.

NASA states elevated levels of mono-methyl hydrazine (MMH) were detected during the on-loading of propellant to the Dragon spacecraft. Engineers subsequently off-loaded the propellant and oxidizer from the vehicle for purpose of investigating the source of what is presumed to be a leak in the Draco thruster propulsion system. The Dragon spacecraft has 16 Draco thrusters, each of which generates approximately 90-pound-feet of thrust in the vacuum of space.

The occurrence marks the second time since April that a SpaceX launch has been called-off because of a fuel-leak. However, unlike the previous instance—which merely set back a rehearsal of SpaceX’s planned, Artemis Moon Mission—this delay stands to impede cargo deliveries upon which the smooth operation of the International Space Station (ISS) is contingent.

Once the exact source of the elevated MMH readings is identified and a cause is determined, NASA and SpaceX teams will determine and announce a new target launch date. In the interim, NASA is conducting eye exams on some of its astronauts, and endeavoring to resolve technical issues plaguing the agency’s aging spacesuits.

The launch—when it occurs—will lift-off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

Upon reaching space atop the the Falcon-9 rocket, the Dragon vehicle will proceed to and dock with the ISS. In addition to food and other supplies, the Dragon will carry experiments germane to: the human immune system, wound healing, soil communities, and cell-free biomarkers. Additional experiments will seek to map the composition of Earth’s dust, and test an alternative to concrete.

FMI: https://www.spacex.com