NASA is forced to revise the schedule of cargo delivery to the International Space Station (ISS) after that, as damage to the cargo module of the Cygnus spacecraft was discovered during transport. The agency is evaluating the scope of the problem and the possible impact on the future NG-22 mission, which was planned in June.
Consequences of damage to Cygnus:
- The cargo module container was damaged during transport to the launch site in Florida.
- NASA specialists are currently conducting a detailed inspection of the module, to determine, can the damage be repaired without delaying the mission.
- Previously, NG-22 was already delayed in February, due to avionics problems.
Dragon SpX-32 cargo mission adjustments:
- Due to the possible delay of Cygnus, NASA is reviewing the payload for the next Dragon SpX-32 mission, which should start at the end of April.
- Scientific experiments, which were planned to be sent, will be replaced by food and consumables.
- Such a step will provide the ISS crew with the necessary resources in case of further delays of NG-22.
Changes in the schedule of crew missions
- The handoff between Crew-9 and Crew-10 will be reduced.
- Crew-10 will arrive at the ISS 13 March, and Crew-9 will return to Earth already 16 March, which is much faster than the standard period of 5 days or more.
- This decision will allow to optimize the resource reserves at the station, as they will be temporarily on board 11 persons.
Source: https://spacenews.com/cygnus-issue-causes-changes-in-iss-cargo-missions/