Despite facing a few issues, SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut mission will still launch right on schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 5, as reported first by Space.com.
Crew-5 underwent a launch readiness review (LRR) in preparation for its Wednesday launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) from Pad 39A.
The evaluation found no significant problems with Crew-5's Dragon capsule, Falcon 9 rocket, or any mission-related components. However, three unresolved issues are still being worked on, but both SpaceX and NASA expressed optimism that they will be resolved very shortly.
Three Open Problems
One of the unresolved problems relates to a thrust vector control actuator for one of the nine Merlin engines that propel Falcon 9's first stage.
During the static fire engine test that SpaceX conducted over the weekend, the actuator-which aids in regulating the direction of the engine's thrust, behaved erratically, according to the team.
The second concern is a communications difficulty that hinders the ability of "Just Read the Instructions" to maintain the station, which serves as SpaceX's drone ship that will land Falcon 9's first stage after Crew-5's launch.
The third issue is a leak in the Dragon capsule's portable fire extinguisher. However, the teams are now working to solve these issues, and they believe they will all be fixed before showtime.
Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight programs at SpaceX, stated in the briefing that he does not see any "showstoppers".
He said that teams are currently attempting to fix the droneship communications problem remotely. However, SpaceX may ultimately send personnel aboard the vehicle as early as Tuesday, Oct. 4, to work on it if necessary.
While this is going on, the fire extinguisher leak will be fixed by swapping out a number of parts, followed by testing to determine whether the repair worked.
History in the Making
NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada will fly on the Crew-5 mission as the mission commander and pilot, respectively. Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Anna Kikina of Roscosmos will work as the mission specialists.
Crew-4, the most recent mission from SpaceX, is still on board the ISS but is shortly expected to return to Earth. The departure date for Crew-4 is dependent upon the launch date for Crew-5.
Crew-5 will be historic in numerous ways. For instance, Mann will make history as the first Native American woman to travel to space, while Kikina will make history as the first Russian to fly with SpaceX.
The launch of Crew-5 was initially scheduled on Oct. 4, but Hurricane Ian delayed it by two days.
The Artemis 1 moon mission's schedule was far more significantly impacted by the storm. NASA had planned to launch the unmanned Artemis 1 on Sept. 27, but Ian prompted the team to bring the massive rocket back to the facility's Vehicle Assembly Building from Pad 39B at KSC.
The Artemis 1 launch is now scheduled for Nov. 12 to Nov. 27, according to NASA.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
