Live video captured the tense moment that astronauts aboard NASA’s Crew-2 mission were warned about a possible collision with an unknown object.
“For the sake of awareness, we’ve identified a late-breaking potential combination for the dragon with a fairly close miss distance,” Sarah Giles of SpaceX told the astronauts, according to the video Live broadcast by NASA and SpaceX. “In this way, we require you to immediately donate suits and secure yourself in the seats.”
Gilles said the initial time of the possible collision was less than 20 minutes, with the ship soon to take off from its course.
Crew-2 astronaut Thomas Peskett of the European Space Agency said, “Copy, Sarah, you want us in a suit for a possible close call.”
The warning came roughly at 1:30 pm ET Friday as the crew was preparing to sleep inside the Dragon Crew capsule en route to the International Space Station. About 10 minutes later, pilot Megan McArthur told Giles that the two crew members were “accommodating and sitting down” and the remaining two “are now meeting in their suits.”
Moments later, Giles informs the crew that “we believe the object is less distant than anticipated, a lower risk of possible conjugation.” And after minutes, Giles confirmed that the object had passed.
A spokesman for the NASA Johnson Space Center said the potential collision warning was actually based on “false reports”.
“Upon further analysis, space control determined a possible combination between the Crew-2 capsule and the object was a false report. There was never a collision threat for the crew-dragon, and the astronauts continued their mission safely, ”NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries told The Post on Monday.
“Of course, NASA was happy to hear that there was never any danger, but also glad that the processes were underway and that the crew would be ready if the threat was real,” he added by email.
Humphries said the crew “acted according to standard safety procedures.” He made further questions on space control, which did not immediately return the Post’s request for comment.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavor docked at the ISS on Saturday with no further surprises.
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