It’s never a dull moment on the International Space Station, especially given just how quickly things can seem to go wrong when one of the Earth-orbiting space lab’s specialized electrical systems stops working as expected. Unfortunately, that’s precisely what happened last week, and astronauts had no choice but to fix it.
Image Credit: Pixabay
According to NASA, none of the performing astronauts were in any danger, but a failed power switching unit allegedly slashed the space station’s electrical power by an estimated 25%, resulting in complications that later compelled commercial space company SpaceX to delay one of its scheduled resupply launches that was supposed to happen on Wednesday.
Thankfully, a spacewalk wasn’t necessary to resolve the problem. Astronauts were able to replace the faulty power switching unit from the safety of the inside of the International Space Station with the help of the robotic arm, also known as Canadarm2. Luckily, replacing the unit restored the International Space Station’s electrical power to full capacity.
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Despite the inconvenience of having to delay the SpaceX resupply launch, there was no concern that astronauts would run out of existing supplies. NASA is careful to plan for these kinds of unexpected delays, and another resupply mission that transpired just before Easter ensures that the astronauts will have everything they need up until the Dragon capsule finally reaches the International Space Station.
The delayed SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was expected to launch no later than Friday, but in an almost unreal set of circumstances, SpaceX exhibited electrical issues of their own just after NASA resolved theirs. The problem allegedly involved SpaceX’s drone ship, which often captures the company’s first stages as they fall back to Earth to perform an upright landing.
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SpaceX delayed the launch for another day so that the electrical issue could be resolved before finally launching its Falcon 9 rocket with a payload of 5,500 pounds’ worth of fresh supplies and science experiments from the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Florida at 3 A.M. Eastern time.
Image Credit: SpaceX/Twitter
The Falcon 9’s spent first stage landed on the drone ship just a few minutes later, and the astronauts on the International Space Station are expected to receive their shipment Monday.
Image Credit: SpaceX/Twitter
Those interested in watching the launch can tune in to the SpaceX recording here:
Despite what seemed like a circus show at first glance, it now appears that NASA and SpaceX are on track to ensure that those working at the International Space Station will have everything they need to continue their roles. One can only hope that such hiccups don’t happen any time again soon…
Source: Phys.org, NASA, SpaceX (Twitter)