A late parachute test of the SpaceX Crew Dragon abridgement “ was not satisfactory , ” a NASA functionary tell during a House subcommittee earreach yesterday . Few details were disclosed , but it ’s now looking even less likely that NASA will have the capability to fly astronauts to blank anytime presently .
The House Science , Space , and Technology Committee held ahearingin Washington , DC , yesterday to talk over NASA ’s plan to go to the Moon , and how the accelerated lunar timeline might affect the large goal of sending humans to Mars . During the meeting , however , the conversation change by reversal to a previously undisclosed incident that happened last month at Nevada ’s Delamar Dry Lake during a trial of the SpaceX Crew Dragon parachute system .
“ The examination was not acceptable , ” replied Bill Gerstenmaier , NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations , in response to a question posed by Alabama Congressman Morris Brooks . “ We did not get the results we wanted , but we learned some information that ’s going to regard , potentially , future parachute designs , ” said Gerstenmaier .
A SpaceX Crew Dragon parachute test conducted in 2017.Image: (SpaceX)
When asked what he meant by unwanted results , the NASA functionary say the testing setup was “ damaged upon impact with the background . ”
In an e-mail to Gizmodo , a SpaceX interpreter confirm the incident , suppose it was an “ in advance development test ” designed to quantify the stresses endured by the parachutes . Rather than utilize an real Crew Dragon ejection seat , however , SpaceX used a uncomplicated metal test sled . During the trial , the parachutes did n’t to the full unresolved and the sled make the land at “ a higher than expected velocity , ” harmonize to the spokesperson , adding that no one was hurt and no property damage occurred at the test land site .
This particular exercise was a “ single - out ” test , in which one of the four chute was purposely handicapped during the descent . The test is meant to simulate a less - than - idealistic position in the event of a individual parachute failure . SpaceX has “ successfully performed ” five similar single - out chute mental test in the past times , according to the SpaceX voice . In this case , however , and as Gerstenmaier explained during yesterday ’s hearing , the remaining three parachute did n’t operate as expect .
As to the cause of the failure , Gerstenmaier was ineffective to allow for an answer .
“ We still need to understand whether it was a trial setup configuration coming out of the aircraft or if there was something associated with the packing of the parachute , the tackle , all that , ” he secern the Committee . During the failed test , the loads within each parachute canopy were tape , and this datum will be used during the investigation , he pronounce .
Gerstenmaier said he is “ comfortable ” that the trouble will be resolved and that NASA is “ to the full engage ” in its efforts to solve the trouble . He also tried to cast the incident in a positive light .
“ I do n’t see this as a negative , ” he separate the Committee . “ This is why we test . This is why we desire to tug thing — this is a gift to us . We ’ve gotten data that is unique that will help us design and understand if this is something that involve to be mend or if it ’s something that was a nicety of the mental test , ” said Gerstenmaier .
The SpaceX spokesperson echoed those sentiments , enunciate the data gather up from this anomalous test “ provides industry leading brainwave , informs future examination , and allows us to develop an even safer system . ” To particular date , SpaceX has completed 19 tests of the parachute system , and there are additional tests planned before NASA station the capsule to place with an actual work party .
At the hearing yesterday , Patricia Sanders , chair of NASA ’s Aerospace Safety and Advisory Panel , told the Committee that a “ large number ” of parachute tests have been conduct for the Commercial Crew Program in recent month , including for the Orion ballistic capsule currently under development by NASA and the European Space Agency . That said , there “ have been a few less satisfactory result and some tests that are indicate that there may require to be some redesign or some modification made to the design , ” she tell .
NASA’sCommercial Crew Program , begin in 2010 , is a collaboration between the outer space agency and private partners like SpaceX , Boeing , and Blue Origin to develop cheaper exile to and from compass . It come out that SpaceX is n’t the only individual firm skin to modernize commercial crew engineering science , as SpaceFlight Nowreports :
lawgiver did not ask Gerstenmaier about Boeing ’s recent parachute test event . But in reaction to a inquiry from Spaceflight Now after the hearing , he confirmed that Starliner parachute drop tests have encounter anomalousness exchangeable to the one suffered by SpaceX last month .
The SpaceX representative did not respond to a interrogative about whether this late blow might affect the timeline of NASA ’s Commercial Crew computer program . NASA has yet to respond to a Gizmodo query about any possible Clarence Day stemming from the fail parachute test .
It now seems more and more unlikely that NASA will be able to conduct crewed mental test of the SpaceX capsule in 2019 — specially in considerateness of thefailed Crew Dragon booster teston April 20 , 2019 .
https://gizmodo.com/yep-that-spacex-crew-capsule-was-definitely-destroyed-1834503877
The first crewed test of the spacecraft is theorise to happen on July 25 , but that appears overly optimistic given the events of the past several weeks . The U.S. has not had the capacity to independently pitch its spaceman to space since the retirement of the Space Shuttle political program in 2011 , and has relied on the Russian Soyuz program since that time .
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