Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) expects to reach “preliminary conclusions” on its Cargo Resupply Services-7 (CRS-7) launch failure by the end of the week, company founder Elon Musk said Sunday on Twitter.
Musk said SpaceX will brief key customers and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before posting the conclusions on its website. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded after launch June 28 on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) while performing one of NASA’s CRS missions, which deliver food and supplies to ISS. Russia’s Progress 60 cargo ship docked at ISS at 3:11 a.m. EDT Sunday, bringing more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies. Progress 60 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:55 a.m. EDT July 3.
SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell said last week the company saw some pressurizations in the launch vehicle’s second stage (Defense Daily, June 29). SpaceX said following the failure that the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket had been performing nominally. A SpaceX spokesman did not respond to a request for comment by press time Monday.