SpaceX Loses Contact Before Private Astronaut Spacewalk

Allegedly, during SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, ground control encountered a significant loss of communication for an hour before two private astronauts embarked on the first-ever commercial spacewalk. This groundbreaking event was detailed in a report by Reuters.

The Polaris Dawn mission, spearheaded by tech mogul Jared Isaacman, launched on September 10 with a crew of four aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The mission achieved a record orbital altitude of 870 miles above Earth, marking a milestone for crewed missions in terms of Earth-orbit apogee. On September 12, the mission made history as the first private expedition to conduct a spacewalk, with Isaacman and another astronaut venturing outside the Dragon capsule.

However, behind the scenes at SpaceX’s mission control, a power outage in California led to a loss of ground control. This mishap raised concerns as the mission operators briefly lost the ability to command the spacecraft, highlighting the critical role of ground control in addressing unforeseen events.

Although these incidents were not publicly disclosed due to SpaceX’s private nature, the FAA oversees safety regulations for commercial space operators launching within U.S. territory. Congress’s 2004 moratorium limits the FAA’s jurisdiction over the safety of individuals on board private spacecraft to avoid stifling the budding space industry.

SpaceX’s partnership with NASA, responsible for ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station, underscores the company’s reliability in space missions. However, a NASA safety panel recently advised SpaceX to prioritize crew safety as it expands its commercial spaceflight activities.

With President-elect Donald Trump nominating Isaacman to lead NASA, the future of private sector involvement in the nation’s space program is uncertain. Regulations ensuring crew safety may become more stringent under Isaacman’s potential leadership, safeguarding against similar incidents in the future.