The crew access arm was hoisted into position at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral on Monday, as SpaceX prepares to launch its first Crew Dragon with astronauts on board as early as January. I’m in a hurry to prepare the pads.
Multiple sources tell SpaceFlight Now that Axiom Space’s third commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is likely due to a tight schedule at Launch Complex-39A. It will mark the debut of a new tower. The mission, led by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, will send three European astronauts on a journey to the space station that can last up to 14 days.
Currently, only SpaceX and Russian agency Roscosmos have a ticket to the ISS, which is currently the only U.S. option until Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft enters rotation next year.
Not only that, but SpaceX currently only has one launch pad that can launch astronauts and cargo-carrying missions to the ISS. It’s Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX is working to change that by building a new crew and cargo access tower through 2023 at CCSFS’ Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), its second launch pad in Florida. Ta.
Even if the tower is not ready in time to support that mission, Ax-3 could still be launched from LC-39A since all other astronaut missions by SpaceX date back to 2020. But that would cause further crowding of astronauts, which is already taking place. The schedule for LC-39A is packed.
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A packed release schedule
One of the main reasons Ax-3 could be the mission to debut tower capabilities on SLC-40 is that two launches that require the now unique capabilities of LC-39A are scheduled within days of each other. This is because it has been.
Intuitive Machines’ first Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) mission is scheduled to launch as early as January 12th using a Falcon 9 rocket. The Nova C lander bound for the Moon’s South Pole will need to refuel at the launch pad using equipment available only on 39A.
in interview Spaceflight Now will also have a wet dress rehearsal “several days before launch,” IM’s vice president of lunar access Trent Martin said last month.
“We want to refuel as late as possible, and SpaceX has been very accommodating and providing us with liquid oxygen and liquid methane,” Martin said in October. Told. “We fill it up to the last minute so we can be as full as possible and have the best chance of landing on the moon.”
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These launches will be surrounded on either side by other high-priority missions.
Starting November 9, Falcon 9 will launch the 29th SpaceX Commercial Resupply Service (CRS-29) mission to the ISS, delivering thousands of pounds of cargo and scientific experiments to the crew in orbit. . This is expected to be followed by her USSF-52 national security mission, her fifth and final Falcon Heavy, in 2023.
Converting a launch pad from a Falcon 9 configuration to a Falcon Heavy configuration takes approximately three weeks.
While Ax-3’s mission is about two weeks long, SpaceX’s Crew-8 quartet is scheduled to launch as early as mid-February. Commander and NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will lead the mission along with pilot Michael Barratt, mission specialist Janet Epps, and mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin.
Houston-based Axiom Space plans to fly its third commercial flight to the space station from Pad 39A within days of IM-1’s launch, and NASA plans to fly its third commercial flight to the space station from Pad 39A within days of IM-1’s launch, and NASA has announced that it will be able to avoid congested space station traffic early. They hope to fly on schedule to avoid disrupting their plans. 2024. The IM-1 mission is launched only once a month and has a short launch window, so it could face significant delays if it falls outside the January launch window.
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The option to launch Ax-40 from SLC-3 will allow SpaceX to meet all of its customers’ needs and respond to more opportunities in a shorter period of time. Of course, that depends on whether the crew and cargo access towers are ready in time.
On Monday, construction workers began hoisting the worker access arm into place using a series of cranes and harnesses. This is one of the last major components that needs to be installed, in addition to the emergency escape system, which provides a zipline-like escape that allows astronauts and support personnel to quickly escape from the tower if necessary. It’s a system.
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Earlier press conferences with NASA and SpaceX officials said the tower should be completed by the end of 2023.
Astronauts have priority
Current plans are for Ax-3 to use SLC-40 and IM-1 to use LC-39A, but it all depends on tower readiness. However, if that is not done in time, Ax-3 will be prioritized for launch from LC-39A in January, and the IM-1 mission will be postponed to a later date, sources told Spaceflight Now.
Even if the new tower doesn’t get a license to support Ax-3 in time for that mission, it will certainly be a challenge for SpaceX and It will be a valuable asset to its affiliates. Customers heading into 2024 and beyond.