Indications have emerged that a NASA advisory panel had warned SpaceX about the potential hazards of its future manned rockets. This is happening several weeks after an unmanned SpaceX rocket exploded, destroying the equipment it was carrying.
NASA’s advisory committee is now raising alarm over the intention of SpaceX to use the same procedure that had led to the explosion of its rocket in September for future manned missions to space. This does not only have the potential to jeopardize the mission, it will also put the people in the spacecraft in danger as the potential for the accident is high.
SpaceX is a space exploration, transportation and technology company founded by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla motors and legendary adventurist. It aims to take people to space and the planets in the future, turning space travel into a lucrative, profitable business. It also manufactures aerospace technology and deploys satellites to space. The company’s headquarters is in Hawthorne, California.
NASA’s concern stems from some anomaly in the fueling system of SpaceX’s spacecraft. During ongoing investigations, Elon Musk and other people from SpaceX suspected the fueling system to be the main reason for the rocket, Falcon 9 exploding on September 1. Yet they have not changed the fueling procedure of the spacecraft, prompting the NASA panel to write them a letter.
The University Herald reports that NASA is alarmed over SpaceX’s unique and unconventional fueling system, which may not have fulfilled some safety standards.
The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed by SpaceX to carry satellites and other equipment to space. On September 1, it exploded 30 minutes before takeoff, completely destroying the equipment it was carrying, including a Facebook satellite that would have brought internet closer to many people in Africa. SpaceX recently revealed that the disaster occurred while it was being fueled for a test fire.