SpaceX Experiences Ground Control Power Loss for One Hour During Historic Crew Launch in September

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SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn Mission Faces Critical Power Issue

Recent reports from Reuters have highlighted a significant power failure that occurred during SpaceX’s groundbreaking Polaris Dawn mission earlier this year. This event marked a historical achievement, taking a crew of four to the highest altitude in Earth orbit since NASA’s Apollo missions. Unfortunately, mission control experienced a power outage that lasted approximately one hour, which hindered the team’s ability to manually command the Crew Dragon spacecraft from the ground.

According to informed sources cited in the report, SpaceX encountered challenges transitioning mission operations to a backup facility. Ground control is paramount in ensuring the safety and success of both crewed and uncrewed space missions by enabling swift resolution of any issues that may arise during operations.

Power Outage Notification to NASA During the Historic Flight

In September, Jared Isaacman and his crew made history by reaching an apogee of 1,400 kilometers from Earth. Apogee refers to the farthest point of an object in orbit relative to the body it revolves around. Notably, during the Polaris Dawn mission, Isaacman and SpaceX’s Sarah Gillis executed the first private spacewalk in human history.

As Isaacman exited the Crew Dragon spacecraft, broadcast via SpaceX’s live stream, he was captured against the breathtaking backdrop of Earth and the vastness of space. However, reports indicate that moments before this milestone event, mission control facilities in Hawthorne, California, lost power, creating operational constraints for the team.

Despite the setback, the Crew Dragon maintained limited communication with Earth, largely thanks to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system. Significantly, two of the three insiders revealed that the crew had received training for manual piloting of the spacecraft in case of a communication failure.

Crew Dragon's upgraded forward hatch for the Polaris Dawn mission — The Crew Dragon’s upgraded forward hatch for the Polaris Dawn mission when viewed from inside the spacecraft. Image: SpaceX

Reuters detailed that the power outage impacted SpaceX’s ability to switch control of the Crew Dragon to a backup location. Although astronauts undergo rigorous training for a variety of scenarios prior to launching, and the spacecraft is capable of being operated manually, ground control serves as an essential safety net enabling quick responses to emergencies and more immediate corrective actions than might be possible from the crew’s position in space.

Communication between mission teams on Earth and the crew in orbit is continuous throughout SpaceX’s crewed flights. This coordination plays a critical role in managing timelines, including sleep schedules, and monitoring the crew’s health to promptly address any emergencies.

The Polaris Dawn mission also included several scientific experiments addressing various health metrics, such as testing special contact lenses to gauge ocular pressure, tracking blood flow, and conducting MRI scans for brain monitoring.

Despite attempts to reach comments from SpaceX, Elon Musk, NASA, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), no responses were provided. A source informed Reuters that SpaceX had made NASA aware of the power outage and assured them that measures would be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. NASA’s collaboration with SpaceX across all launches, including those involving the Falcon 9 on Starlink missions, ensures vigilant monitoring of essential systems, reinforcing the safety of their missions.

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