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SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission reportedly experienced a loss of ground control for an hour before two private astronauts emerged from the Dragon crew capsule to conduct the first commercial spacewalk in history, according to a report by Reuters.
The Polaris Dawn mission launched on September 10 with a crew of four, led by technology entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. The billionaire-funded mission, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, reached a maximum orbital altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) above Earth, also setting a new record for the apogee of Earth’s orbit (the farthest point on the planet) for a crew mission. On September 12, Polaris Dawn became the first private mission to conduct a spacewalk, with two astronauts, including Isaacman, stepping out of a SpaceX capsule for a historic moment that broke new ground for commercial spaceflight.
Things may not have gone so well inside SpaceX’s mission control room. An anonymous source told Reuters that a power outage at the SpaceX facility in California caused a loss of ground control, which meant the mission control team was briefly unable to command the spacecraft. Polaris Dawn crew members received training before launching into space, however, they are not professional astronauts.
“Not having command and control is a big problem,” the anonymous source told Reuters. “The goal of having mission operators on the ground is to have the ability to respond quickly if something happens.”
Since SpaceX is a private company, the issue was not reported publicly. Commercial space operators who want to launch or re-enter within U.S. borders need a license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure the safety of bystanders or nearby property on the ground, but the FAA does not. is responsible for the safety of the people on board. the private spaceship. That’s because a moratorium passed by Congress in 2004 temporarily prohibited the FAA from issuing regulations to protect the safety of people aboard space launches so as not to overburden the emerging space industry.
NASA has been contracting with SpaceX to transport its astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard its Dragon spacecraft, essentially the same ship used to launch the Polaris Dawn mission. SpaceX informed NASA of the loss of ground control during the private mission, according to another anonymous source who spoke to Reuters. SpaceX has been NASA’s trusted commercial partner for years, launching nine crews to the orbital space station so far. However, in November, a NASA safety panel warned SpaceX to focus on crew safety for its commercial trips to the ISS as the company ramps up its spaceflight activities.
President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire space enthusiast Isaacman to lead NASA as the space agency’s new administrator, which could have major implications for private industry becoming more involved in the national space program. Hopefully by then crew safety will be regulated at a more formal level to prevent similar incidents from occurring. We’re not holding our breath.
