The space station maneuvering experiment with a ship didn’t go well

NASA is currently evaluating the spacecraft’s capability swan to serve as a fan to the International Space Station on which it is docked. sI was a recent test case for this idea arrested quickly for reasons still not clear.

The launch of the engine for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus NG CRS-17 spacecraft began at 11:20 a.m. ET on Monday, June 20.according to Release from the agency. “The cause of the abortion is understandable,” Cygnus mission officials said It is under review,” NASA added, without providing further details. In a letter to GizmodoA NASA spokesperson said the agency will provide more updates and information.on me In the Articles From the space station at the end of this same week.

The purpose of the test was to assess the capability of the Cygnus spacecraft To serve as a career motivator for the IS. The space station is equipped with its own propulsion system, but it is often not enough to make significant modifications to the site. International Space Stationwho was found in orbit 418 km on the surface of the groundSometimes you need to move, either for operational reasons or when you have to dodge other satellites or potentially space debris. dangerous.

This was the case just a few days ago. On June 16, the Russian Progress 81 spacecraft docked at the International Space Station It fired its thrusts for 4 minutes and 34 seconds, in an action that provided an additional distance from the expected path of space debris, i.e.And the Part of the old Russian satellite Kosmos 1408 which Russia he ruined Deliberately Earlier this year in a brazen test of anti-satellite weapons. Apparently, the crew was never in danger, but without orbital adjustment, the fragment would have been expected to have passed at an altitude of about 800 meters From the station “according to Release from NASA.

With so many satellites currently orbiting the Earth, and with so much junk and useless debris out there, these maneuvers are now commonplace. The problem is that Russia has threatened To leave the International Space Station (Probably in 2025), and since progress vehicles are usually used as boosters for the International Space StationThis is a problem for NASA. Hence the test with the ship swan;

A failed test with Cygnus doesn’t mean the spacecraft isn’t up to the task, but it would be nice to know what went wrong. However, NASA plans to try again. On Saturday, June 25, at which time the agency will restart the Cygnus engines. If the test is successful, it will mark the first time a commercial spacecraft has been used to power the International Space Station. (As far as I know). In addition, the CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, has implicit That ship DragoYour company n must also be able to perform payment tasks if requested.

This new scheduled test is not yet official, as NASA needs to discuss the new plan with its partners on the International Space Station.According to the statement. Assuming all goes well, the spent Cygnus craft will leave the station with its cargo of trash on June 28 and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.