For the second time in as many weeks, the CRS-25 resupply mission is being delayed by NASA and SpaceX.
The original date of the mission was planned for June 10. However, the Dragon’s Draco thrusters had elevated readings of its propellent while filling the spacecraft.
The second window for launching the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft was no earlier than July 11.
As per NASA, the reason for this latest delay is two-fold:
- Supporting ongoing Dragon spacecraft inspections
- Repair and replacement of any components that could have degraded by exposure to hydrazine vapour
With the latest delay, the mission will now launch no earlier than July 14 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to Space.com.
The new launch date will allow the Dragon spacecraft to reach the space station right after the sun fully illuminate the station. Full illumination of the stations causes power generation and thermal issues typically, making docking the Dragon challenging.
This is the 25th resupply mission that SpaceX has run for NASA and the space station. It will be the third mission for this specific Dragon spacecraft which made resupply runs in December 2020 and August 2021.
