SpaceX failure leaves few options for launches
The pride of Canada’s space program is scheduled to be launched on the same type of U.S. rocket that blew up on the weekend.
The Radarsat Constellation Mission, which will cost taxpayers $975 million, is to be launched in 2018 on the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX, a private firm established by Canadian-South African high tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, suffered a setback on Sunday when its unmanned Falcon 9 rocket exploded shortly after takeoff. It was carrying supplies to the International Space Station, or ISS.
The explosion is a reminder of the technical difficulties of space operations as well as of the limited avenues to launch satellites and other spacecraft, say analysts.
NASA is trying to outsource launches to private firms such as SpaceX.
India and Russia also provide such services to companies and nations, but there is a strong demand for a spot on their rockets.
The Canadian government, however, is boycotting the use of Russian launchers because of Russia’s annexation of the Crimea from Ukraine and its support for separatist forces battling Ukraine’s government.
“That limits the options Canada has for (Radarsat Constellation) even if we wanted to change launch providers,” said Chuck Black, a Toronto-based space analyst.
Black said the launch of the Radarsat Constellation Mission or RCM will be delayed but it’s too early to tell by how much.
Musk tweeted Monday morning that his firm has done an extensive review of the data from the rocket but has yet to determine the cause of the explosion.
The three RCM surveillance satellites will provide the government with a significant capability. Because there are three spacecraft the ability to keep an eye on the Arctic and the approaches to Canada’s coastlines is increased.
In October a rocket provided by another private firm, Orbital Sciences, blew up shortly after launch. It was carrying supplies for the ISS.
But Black pointed out that a Russian spacecraft also malfunctioned in April. The cargo ship, headed for the space station, reached orbit but later went out of control.
“Space is hard” said Black, repeating a common industry phrase now being used in reaction to the SpaceX explosion.
MacDonald Dettwiler of British Columbia, the prime contractor for RCM, selected SpaceX as its launcher in 2013 before the government brought in the embargo against Russian rockets.
The Canadian Space Agency did not provide comment.
But MacDonald Dettwiler still remains confident in the company. “SpaceX has already demonstrated a history of successful launches, and with a large number of future launches in their manifest we are confident that SpaceX offers a suitable launch option for the RA- DARSAT Constellation Mission,” said MDA spokeswoman Wendy Keyzer. “We await the results of the upcoming investigation that is expected to provide specifics on the incident.”
Last month the Citizen reported that the launch of another Canadian government surveillance satellite, known as M3MSat, had fallen two years behind schedule because the Conservative government wouldn’t allow it to be put into orbit by a Russian rocket.
Black noted that other nations and organizations haven’t shied away from using the Russian launchers. Last year a Norwegian Defence Department satellite, similar to the grounded Canadian M3MSat, was launched by a Russian rocket. Two satellites, built by the space flight lab at the University of Toronto, were also launched by the Russians.
Black noted that the Canadian government’s boycott hasn’t had much impact on the Russians as other nations and organizations are lined up to place their spacecraft on their rockets.
RCM follows the highly successful RADARSAT-1, launched by NASA in 1995, and RADARSAT-2, put into orbit by the Russians in 2007.
Initial work on RCM began in 2005.
The U.S. space industry is also struggling with the issue of Russian equipment.
Congress passed a law prohibiting the purchase of Russian engines for rockets used to launch American military spacecraft because of the situation in Ukraine.
But the Pentagon, along with U.S. defence firms such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, are lobbying Congress to remove the ban since it is hurting the country’s military space program.
Russia has argued that politics should be kept out international efforts in space. It has indicated it is more than willing to launch the Canadian satellites despite frosty relations between the two nations, say Canadian military and industry sources.
The Russian engines have been used in 54 launches of NASA and U.S. military spacecraft over the last decade.