European firm has an ambitious plan to dock with the space station in 2028

Last month, Hélène Huby's small spacecraft encountered a significant hurdle when its parachutes failed to deploy, resulting in a crash into the ocean. This incident has been viewed as both a success and a setback. Huby, who founded The Exploration Company in Europe, took pride in the fact that her 'Mission Possible' spacecraft was developed for under $25 million and reached space in less than three years. The spacecraft achieved several milestones in spaceflight before its controlled descent. However, at an altitude of 26 kilometers, contact was lost as it decelerated to Mach one. Huby expressed her concerns regarding the European perception of such failures, which historically have not been well-received. "The feedback I received from European space agencies was surprisingly positive," Huby mentioned in a recent interview at the company’s Houston office. "Agencies like the German Space Agency and the European Space Agency acknowledged that accomplishing 80 percent of the mission within our budget and timeline was commendable." In light of the spacecraft's loss on June 24, The Exploration Company has set up an independent investigation team. Huby indicated that it is "99 percent" likely that the parachute deployment system encountered issues, specifically with either the drogue or main parachutes. She clarified that the parachute provider, US-based Airborne Systems, was not at fault; rather, it was an issue with the company’s mechanism. To expedite the project and keep costs down, The Exploration Company opted against conducting drop tests, a choice that may have contributed to the failure. Huby admitted, "We underestimated the risks involved," and in hindsight, more thorough ground testing could have been beneficial. Looking ahead, the company is now at a crossroads regarding its next steps. One possibility includes developing another small spacecraft akin to Mission Possible for further testing. However, challenges arise due to the differences in parachute systems between this test vehicle and the larger Nyx spacecraft, which is intended for operational missions. Thus, the success of the Mission Possible parachutes does not necessarily guarantee the same for Nyx.