Space X explosion will delay astronaut plans, Nasa official says
The explosion that destroyed a Space X crew vehicle in April will delay the drive to build a US spaceship able to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, a senior Nasa official said today.
In April, Space X’s passenger vehicle, Crew Dragon, exploded on the ground during testing.
Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said he had “no doubt” the explosion would push back the timeline for the multi-billion dollar Commercial Crew Program.
“There is no doubt the schedule will change,” Bridenstine told reporters at the Paris Airshow. “It won’t be what was originally planned.”
His comments cast doubt on Space X billionaire boss Elon Musk’s plans to return astronauts to the space station from US soil this year.
Space X and Boeing have been awarded $6.8bn by Nasa to develop vehicles able to carry crew members to the International Space Station.
Since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011 the US has relied on Russian launch vehicles to carry its astronauts to the International Space Station.
Boeing has also delayed its own flights for months.
Space X originally planned its first flight in July following a successful six-day unpiloted mission in March.