Experts Pointed Out Safety Risk to SpaceX Fuel Proposal

A group of industry experts that advises NASA has told the U.S space agency about the danger of Elon Musk’s SpaceX proposal – to fuel its rockets while astronauts are on board. The team raised serious concerns after the fatal explosion incident while fueling the unmanned rocket last September. The incident is still under investigation.

In a conference call on Monday, Space Station Advisory Committee Chairman Thomas Stafford said, “This is a hazardous operation.”

NASA’s eight members including rockets Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle gets fueled before the astronaut’s board to the launch pad.

“Everybody there, and particularly the people who had experience over the years, said nobody is ever near the pad when they fuel a booster,” Stafford said
SpaceX launch system needs NASA approval before it can fully operate and send astronauts into space.

In a statement released last Tuesday, NASA said, “continuing its evaluation of the SpaceX concept for fueling the Falcon 9 for commercial crew launches. The results of the company’s Sept. 1 mishap investigation will be incorporated into NASA’s evaluation.”

SpaceX and NASA are working “hand-in-hand” developing its human launch operations, reports said; they have spent 18 months finding out potential hazards and how to manage it properly.

Meanwhile, Tesla Motors Inc CEO Musk, who owned SpaceX said, “It would re-evaluate its fueling system and launch processes depending on results of the accident investigation.”

SpaceX said on Friday, that the explosion incident happened last September 1 was due to fueling error – a pressurized container of helium inside the rocket’s upper stage exploded which destroyed a $200 million Israeli Communication Satellite and the booster itself

Rocket engine uses super-chilled liquid propellants to increase the rocket’s efficiency to turn around and fly back to earth and be reused.
NASA stopped its Space Shuttle Program in 2011, then hired SpaceX and Boeing Co to fly its crew to the space stations.

Future of Space Travel

SpaceX is expecting to launch its passenger spaceship on 2018. The spaceship will include an emergency escape system. It will incorporate the a flight system for the main cabin capsule to fly away from a failing rocket before and after the launch.

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