SpaceX, ULA See Launch Risk From Low Liquid Oxygen Supply Amid Surge In Covid Cases

Due to the latest surge in Covid-19 cases across U.S., the demand for oxygen to treat the patients has gone up. This has left in shortage of liquid oxygen for other uses. 

• NASA has announced that it will delay the September launch of its next earth-surveillance satellite by a week.


• Liquid oxygen is an essential part of major launch firms like SpaceX, ULA, and Virgin Orbit. 


• Companies are foreseeing delays in launches due to the shortage of liquid oxygen across the country. 


• SpaceX uses methane and liquid oxygen to fuel the Merlin engines on its workhorse Falcon 9 rockets. 


• SpaceX’s next-generation rocket, Starship, also uses LOX as a fuel.


• If a shortage of oxygen continues, then it could delay launches. 


• On Thursday, SpaceX and Tesla Inc TSLA CEO, Elon Musk tweeted that “This is a risk, but not yet a limiting factor,”


• On August 29, SpaceX has planned to launch 4,800 pounds of food and other supplies to the International Space Station. 


• The company launched 26 rockets last year and plans to surpass that total in 2021. 


• NASA and ULA have already announced that Landsat 9 will be delayed by a week to September 23. Landsat 9 is a surveillance satellite that monitors climate change.