After experiencing a rocket explosion shortly after launch on an International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission, SpaceX set a date for its next flight.
According to The Associated Press, the company will test fire its Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday, which could lead to a launch a few days later on Dec. 19. SpaceX identified a broken strut that led to the rocket's explosion and the destruction of cargo meant for the ISS crew.
If all goes well, SpaceX will launch 11 communication satellites for Orbcomm Inc. before Christmas. But the company's backlog is much more extensive, as it has not carried anything out since the June explosion, Reuters noted.
Also rebounding from an explosion, Orbital ATK delivered a cargo capsule earlier this week, which was the ISS' first fresh batch of supplies in nearly six months, as the Russian Space Agency stepped in after SpaceX's rocket malfunction.
SpaceX will try to land its Falcon 9 rocket back on Earth, a feat the company believes will drive the cost of resupply missions way down. The company also hopes to apply the technology to future flights ferrying astronauts to the ISS.
"NASA is delighted at the continued progress made possible by our investment in commercial space," NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman said in a statement. "As we celebrate Orbital ATK's success with its fourth cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, we look forward to the next milestones of our other commercial partners, including commercial crew launches from American soil in the near future. All these missions are critical to our journey to Mars - a journey we have already begun."
