Power Outage Strikes SpaceX Mission Control Before September Spacewalk

Photo: Reuters

In September, a power outage at SpaceX's California facility caused a loss of ground control for at least an hour during a mission that included the first private spacewalk in history, according to three sources familiar with the issue.

The spacewalk, part of SpaceX’s five-day Polaris Dawn mission, was conducted by private astronauts, including Jared Isaacman, a billionaire and longtime Musk associate. Isaacman has since been nominated by incoming President Donald Trump to lead NASA.

The outage, previously unreported, briefly left SpaceX’s mission control unable to command its Dragon spacecraft in orbit. Despite the disruption, the spacecraft, carrying Isaacman and three other astronauts, remained safe, maintaining communication through SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network.

"Not having command and control is a big deal," one source told Reuters. "The whole point of having mission operators on the ground is to quickly respond if something happens."

SpaceX and Musk did not respond to Reuters' inquiries about the incident.

The outage raises concerns about how private space companies disclose operational mishaps and whether potential conflicts of interest could affect NASA's ability to address these issues, especially as Musk and Isaacman are poised for influential roles in the Trump administration. Isaacman’s nomination for NASA and Musk's planned position leading a government efficiency commission could give both significant influence over agencies that regulate and work with SpaceX. Reuters was unable to confirm whether SpaceX reported the outage to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which licenses space launches. However, one source said SpaceX did notify NASA, explaining that the issue had been resolved and wouldn't affect future missions. NASA officials maintain close communication with SpaceX due to their frequent collaborations. However, NASA and FAA spokespeople did not respond to Reuters' questions.

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Currently, safety standards for private space missions are not mandated by U.S. law, and private operators are not required to report mishaps in orbit due to a 2004 congressional moratorium, which is periodically renewed. Critics argue that this limits the ability of regulators to investigate problems that could impact the safety of the industry.

Douglas Ligor, a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation, emphasized the need for greater disclosure to help companies address potential safety issues across the industry. The moratorium is set to expire in January, and Congress is expected to renew it.

According to sources, the September outage occurred after a leak in a cooling system at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California, facility caused a power surge that knocked out mission control. The surge disrupted the backup procedures and hindered the transfer of control to a backup facility in Florida. Company officials did not have paper copies of procedures, delaying response until power was restored.

The outage lasted at least an hour, occurring before the September 12 spacewalk. While control was offline, the astronauts were trained to operate the spacecraft independently if needed.

Before the Polaris Dawn launch, Musk had commented on the mission, calling it historic and emphasizing the importance of astronaut safety. Following the spacewalk, hailed as a significant milestone in commercial space exploration, Musk became increasingly vocal about reducing government intervention in the private sector. As the head of Trump's planned efficiency commission, Musk could push to eliminate regulations that SpaceX and other private space companies criticize, including those enforced by NASA and the FAA.

Isaacman’s potential role as NASA administrator is also notable. As the CEO of Shift4 Payments, which has business dealings with SpaceX, Isaacman is deeply connected to the company. Shift4 Payments has invested over $27 million in SpaceX, though the exact value of its current stake is unclear. Isaacman has said he would step down as CEO of Shift4 Payments if confirmed by the Senate for the NASA role, though he would retain his stock and reduce his voting power.

Isaacman's extensive ties to SpaceX could raise concerns about conflicts of interest, especially regarding safety issues, according to Cary Coglianese, a public administration expert at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dec. 19, 2024 3:40 p.m. 391

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