THE 2016 mishap with a rocket launch may continue to trouble SpaceX鈥檚 quest to send humans to space. The independent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) recommended on 11 January that NASA should not certify the Falcon 9 rocket to carry crew until the conditions that led to the explosion are fully understood.
An investigation following the incident found that it occurred when liquid oxygen leaked between the rocket鈥檚 helium tanks and their outer layer, then ignited. SpaceX has since changed its fuel loading process and redesigned its helium tanks. NASA is now testing them for similar leaks. Until these tests are done, ASAP recommended that humans not be put aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
The report also expressed concerns that SpaceX and Boeing, the two companies developing spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, may not be able to meet safety requirements before their scheduled missions, which start in November.
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This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淪etback for crewed SpaceX missions鈥�
