Upcoming SpaceX launches may be affected due to Liquid oxygen, rocket fuel shortage: COO

Upcoming SpaceX launches could be impacted this year owing to the shortage of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) in the United States, SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell has suggested. The US is witnessing another wave of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant and has seen a record number of hospitalisations in the last month. With Liquid Oxygen being diverted for COVID treatment in the US, SpaceX believes that the shortage could jeopardize its upcoming launches. Liquid oxygen or LOX is used for SpaceX's next-generation Raptor engines a propellant or rocket fuel. 

Addressing the 36th annual Space Symposium in Colorado, SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said, "We're actually going to be impacted this year with the lack of liquid oxygen for launch," He added, "We certainly are going to make sure hospitals have liquid oxygen that we need. But for anybody that has liquid oxygen to spare, you can send me an email."

The anticipation of the delay in future missions comes after SpaceX put its Starlink internet satellite on hold since June 30. Although delays in upcoming launches are expected, SpaceX has not specified the missions which could face the possible setback.

US records highest number of COVID patients in hospitals   

The US is in the grip of a fourth wave of COVID-19 infection owing to the Delta variant. The nation is clocking over 1,100 deaths a day on average and projections have predicted that the deaths could rise to nearly 1,400 a day by mid-September. The number of Coronavirus patients in US hospitals breached 100,000 on Thursday- the highest level since eight months of the pandemic. Just in the last month, COVID-19 hospitalizations have more than doubled and as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 500 people with COVID are being admitted each hour. The country is projected to see nearly 100,000 more COVID-19 deaths between now and December 1. According to the University of Washington, an additional 98,000 Americans will die by the start of December, for an overall death toll of nearly 730,000. 

(With Agency Inputs)