Damaged Spacecraft Forces NASA to Cancel ISS Cargo Mission

NASA is adding more food and consumable supplies to an upcoming cargo dropoff to the International Space Station (ISS) to sustain the crew after canceling a resupply mission slated to launch in June.

A Cygnus spacecraft that was due to launch to the ISS in June sustained damage while traveling to the launch site at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and is no longer fit to fly. NASA was forced to cancel the Cygnus cargo mission, which was due to carry water, food, experiments, and other supplies for the ISS crew, SpaceNews reported. Instead, the space agency will adjust the cargo manifest for SpaceX’s upcoming resupply mission, which is due to take off in April.

The Northrop Grumman-built spacecraft is one of two cargo vehicles used to send supplies to the ISS on a regular basis, the other being SpaceX’s Dragon. This particular spacecraft was to be used for the NG-22 mission, scheduled for June. On its way to the launch site, however, the shipping container for the spacecraft’s pressurized cargo module sustained damage. NASA was left to assess the damage and how it may impact the upcoming mission.

“Following initial evaluation, there also is damage to the cargo module,” the agency said in a statement, according to Ars Technica. “The International Space Station Program will continue working with Northrop Grumman to assess whether the Cygnus cargo module is able to safely fly to the space station on a future flight.”

NASA will modify the cargo on its next resupply mission to the ISS, which is slated for April. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will now be packed with more consumable supplies and food, instead of some of its science payloads, to help sustain the astronauts until the next resupply mission. By then, NASA will have decided whether the Cygnus spacecraft is fit to launch to the ISS in the fall for the NG-23 mission.

Northrop Grumman and SpaceX have both been transporting cargo to and from the ISS under contracts that date back to 2008. NASA has a commercial resupply contract with a third company, Sierra Space, to use its Dream Chaser vehicle for cargo dropoffs, but the spacecraft is not yet ready to fly. NASA is also waiting on Boeing’s Starliner vehicle to get it together and transport cargo and astronauts to the ISS once it has been certified, but the space agency recently revealed that it is considering another test flight of the vehicle before it becomes operational.

Until then, NASA has to rely on Northrop Grumman and SpaceX for regular trips to the ISS.