If all goes effectively, it might be the primary launch of NASA astronauts to area from U.S. soil because the area shuttle program was retired almost a decade in the past, and it might be the primary time a personal firm had boosted individuals to orbit.
“There are not any vital points, I’m comfortable to report,” Steve Jurczyk, NASA’s affiliate administrator who chaired the review, informed a information convention. “Ultimately, it was a really, very clear review.”
The review, which started Thursday and resumed Friday morning, was one of many final hurdles to be cleared earlier than the launch. On Friday afternoon, SpaceX efficiently fired the engines on the Falcon 9 rocket for a brief check to make sure they have been working appropriately. On Saturday, astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will swimsuit up and undergo the prelaunch procedures one final time. A remaining launch readiness review will likely be held on Monday.
The launch nonetheless could possibly be delayed by climate or any variety of last-minute mechanical glitches.
“We’re going to remain vigilant over the following few days,” mentioned Kathy Lueders, the director of NASA’s business crew program.
She added that “we are attempting to establish any dangers which are on the market, and proceed to take a look at threat, and purchase them down. However we can also’t idiot ourselves, human spaceflight is admittedly, actually powerful.”
“There will be tons extra information, tons extra critiques within the subsequent few days,” mentioned Benji Reed, SpaceX’s director of crew and mission administration. “There will likely be fixed vigilance and watching of the information and observations as we undergo the mission.”
Officers from NASA and SpaceX mentioned a part of the review centered on the security of the parachutes that may deploy and sluggish the Dragon spacecraft because it drops by way of the Earth’s environment, bringing the astronauts house. SpaceX had been working to qualify a brand new design of the parachute techniques that NASA mentioned it’s now snug with.
Behnken and Hurley have been in quarantine for greater than every week, a traditional process for astronauts going to area. However NASA and SpaceX have mentioned they’ve been taking further precautions due to the coronavirus pandemic. At a information briefing Friday, Hurley mentioned he and Behnken have been examined for the coronavirus twice and “rumor has it we is perhaps examined once more earlier than we go.”
The pair would be part of Chris Cassidy, the lone NASA astronaut on board the station, and two Russian counterparts.
“He likes solitude,” Hurley mentioned. “Nevertheless it was very apparent that he’s prepared for some human interplay with us.”