| SpaceX CRS-7 | |
| Names List: | SpX-7 |
| Mission Type: | ISS resupply |
| Operator: | SpaceX |
| Spacecraft Type: | Dragon 1 |
| Manufacturer: | SpaceX |
| Launch Date: | UTC |
| Launch Rocket: | Falcon 9 v1.1 (B1018) |
| Launch Site: | Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 |
| Launch Contractor: | SpaceX |
| Disposal Type: | Destroyed on launch |
| Destroyed: | UTC |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth |
| Orbit Inclination: | 51.6° |
| Insignia: | SpaceX CRS-7 Patch.png |
| Insignia Caption: | NASA SpX-7 mission patch |
| Programme: | Commercial Resupply Services |
| Previous Mission: | SpaceX CRS-6 |
| Next Mission: | OA-4 |
| Programme2: | Cargo Dragon |
| Previous Mission2: | SpaceX CRS-6 |
| Next Mission2: | SpaceX CRS-8 |
SpaceX CRS-7, also known as SpX-7,[1] was a private American Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station, contracted to NASA, which launched and failed on June 28, 2015. It disintegrated 139 seconds into the flight after launch from Cape Canaveral, just before the first stage was to separate from the second stage.[2] It was the ninth flight for SpaceX's uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft and the seventh SpaceX operational mission contracted to NASA under a Commercial Resupply Services contract. The vehicle launched on a Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle. It was the nineteenth overall flight for the Falcon 9 and the fourteenth flight for the substantially upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1.
In January 2015, the launch was tentatively scheduled by NASA for no earlier than June 13, 2015. This was adjusted to June 22, 2015, then moved forward to June 19, 2015, and adjusted again to June 26, 2015.[3] Subsequently, the launch had been rescheduled to June 28, 2015, at 14:21:11 UTC, from Cape Canaveral LC-40.[4] The launch was scheduled to be the third controlled-descent and landing test for the Falcon 9's first stage. It would have attempted to land on a new autonomous drone ship named Of Course I Still Love You – named after a ship in the novel The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks.[5] The spacecraft was planned to stay in orbit for five weeks before returning to Earth with approximately 1400lb of supplies and waste.
Performance was nominal until 139 seconds into launch when a cloud of white vapor appeared, followed by a rapid loss of pressure in the liquid oxygen tank of the Falcon 9's second stage. The booster continued on its trajectory until the vehicle completely broke up several seconds later. The Dragon CRS-7 capsule was ejected from the exploding launch vehicle and continued transmitting data until it impacted with the ocean. SpaceX officials stated that it could have been recovered if the parachutes had deployed, but the software in the capsule did not include any provisions for parachute deployment in this situation.[6] It is assumed that the capsule crumpled and broke up on impact. Subsequent investigation traced the accident to the failure of a strut that secured a high-pressure helium bottle inside the second stage's liquid-oxygen tank. With the helium pressurization system integrity breached, excess helium quickly flooded the liquid-oxygen tank, causing it to overpressurize and burst.[7] The report from SpaceX pointed out that the stainless-steel eye bolt was rated for a load of, but failed at .[8]
An independent investigation by NASA concluded that the most probable cause of the strut failure was a design error: instead of using a stainless-steel eye bolt made of aerospace-grade material, SpaceX chose an industrial-grade material without adequate screening and testing and overlooked the recommended safety margin.[9]
NASA contracted with SpaceX for the CRS-7 mission and set the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule.
, the first International Docking Adapter, IDA-1, was scheduled for delivery to the International Space Station on CRS-7.[10] This adapter would have been attached to one of the Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMA-2 or PMA-3) and converted the APAS-95 docking interface to the newer NASA Docking System (NDS).[11] [12] These adapters allow docking of the newer human-transport spacecraft of the Commercial Crew Program. Previous United States cargo missions after the retirement of the Space Shuttle were berthed, rather than docked, while docking is considered the safer and preferred method for spacecraft carrying humans. The subsequent Cargo Dragon missions CRS-9 and CRS-18 brought docking adapters IDA-2 and IDA-3, to PMA-2 and PMA-3 respectively. They have been in use since 2020.
A full listing of the cargo aboard the failed mission included:[13]
3 Pretreat Tanks, Filter Inserts, 9 KTOs, UPA FCPA, CDRS ASV, IMV Valve, Wring Collector, Water Sampling Kits, OGS ACTEX Filter, ARFTA Brine Filter Assemblies, / Pressure Sensor, NORS Tank, **3 PBA Assemblies, 2 MF Beds, 2 Urine Receptacles, Toilet Paper Packages, Sensor, Ammonia Cartridge Bag, PTU XFER Hose
2 Avionics Restart Cables
The mission would have transported more than 4000lb of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station including the Meteor Composition Determination investigation which would have observed meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere by taking high resolution photos and videos. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space had arranged for it to carry more than 30 student research projects to the station including experiments dealing with pollination in microgravity as well as an experiment to evaluate a sunlight blocking form of plastic.
CRS-7 would have brought a pair of modified Microsoft HoloLenses to the International Space Station as part of Project Sidekick.[16] [17]
See main article: SpaceX reusable launch system development program.
After the second stage separation, SpaceX planned to conduct a flight test and attempt to return the Falcon 9's nearly empty first stage through the atmosphere and land it on autonomous spaceport drone ship Of Course I Still Love You.[18]
This would have been SpaceX's third attempt to land the booster on a floating platform after earlier tests in January 2015 and April 2015 were not successful. The boosters were fitted with a variety of technologies to facilitate the flight test, including grid fins and landing legs to facilitate the post-mission test.[19] [20]