The Exploration Company, a European startup focused on developing a cargo spacecraft, continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the loss of their test vehicle three months ago. The incident occurred during the final stages of the Mission Possible flight, a test of a reentry capsule launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-14 mission in June.

The 1,600-kilogram spacecraft successfully navigated reentry, but communication was lost before the anticipated deployment of parachutes and subsequent splashdown in the North Pacific Ocean. "We’re still investigating what exactly happened in the last moments right before splashdown," stated Dana Baki, The Exploration Company’s chief commercial and people officer, during a presentation at the International Astronautical Congress.

Baki highlighted the successful completion of earlier mission phases, including payload activation for 26 customers within the capsule, separation from the Falcon 9 second stage, and the reentry process itself. Data received from the spacecraft confirmed its survival during reentry. "We know that the parachutes didn’t deploy." "What we don’t know yet is what exactly happened right before the parachutes were supposed to deploy," she added, noting the ongoing investigation led by an external board. The findings will be shared publicly upon completion.

One area of focus is the capsule's stability during descent. "We believe that it was, but that is part of what needs to be confirmed by the investigation board," Baki explained. NASA’s Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery (SCIFLI) project, which tracks spacecraft reentries, monitored the Mission Possible reentry. However, the proximity of the Falcon 9 upper stage complicated the identification of the capsule in the imagery.

Baki emphasized that Mission Possible was developed in just two years at a cost of 35 million euros ($41 million), a fraction of the resources required for other European reentry demonstrator programs. "It’s a testament to what we’re trying to do at The Exploration Company, which is to move fast, stay on schedule, do it at a fraction of the cost and learn as we iterate," she said.

The company is proceeding with its development of the full-scale Nyx cargo vehicle, planned for a demonstration mission to the International Space Station in the first quarter of 2028. The Exploration Company, together with Thales Alenia Space, secured initial study contracts from the European Space Agency in May 2024 for a program similar to NASA’s commercial cargo initiative.

While Nyx will undergo a test flight to the ISS, The Exploration Company anticipates its primary market to be future commercial space stations. Baki also indicated plans to offer a version of Nyx for orbital missions of up to six months without station docking. The parachute failure from Mission Possible hasn't changed the plans.

According to Baki, the flight successfully reduced risks for several Nyx systems, encompassing avionics, guidance, and the spacecraft’s thermal protection system. The possibility of a further test flight before the 2028 Nyx mission has not been dismissed. "From what we know so far, we think that it won’t be necessary, but nothing’s for sure until we get all the answers.”