In the United States, they have something very important to look forward to in the field of space travel. For example, on May 30, 2020, the private American space company SpaceX will send two NASA astronauts into space for the first time using its new Crew Dragon space capsule. The first launch attempt on May 27 was halted due to bad weather. Since the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011, America has not been able to send humans into space on its own. SpaceX and Crew Dragon must change that now.
NASA partners with SpaceX
May 30, 2020 will be a very important date for both NASA and the American space industry. On that day, the United States must once again be able to reach space by sending astronauts into space on its own. Since the last human spaceflight on a US Space Shuttle in 2011, American astronauts have been brought to the International Space Station using the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The new Crew Dragon space capsule must now take on this important task. Crew Dragon was developed by SpaceX in 2010 when NASA began discussions with several private companies that were developing new manned spacecraft as part of the Commercial Crew Development Program. After the US Space Shuttle program was discontinued in 2011, it became clear that the United States was no longer capable of sending astronauts into space on its own, so they had to be temporarily transported to the International Space Station with the help of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. In order not to have to pay for the development of a new American manned spacecraft themselves, NASA and American policymakers came up with the idea of working with private space companies. These companies would propose a design to NASA, and NASA would then financially support these companies for further development. After SpaceX was founded in 2002 by billionaire Elon Musk, it quickly became clear that this company showed a great deal of interest in human spaceflight and had very ambitious plans in this field. Eventually, the initial design for the Crew Dragon spacecraft was presented to the public in May 2014, and then in October 2014, SpaceX and Boeing were selected by NASA to bring American astronauts to the International Space Station in the future. NASA donated $2.6 billion to SpaceX to continue developing Crew Dragon and gave Boeing $4.2 billion to develop the CST-100 Starliner, the counterpart to Crew Dragon. Additionally, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon was also selected in January 2016 to deliver more supplies to the ISS as part of the Commercial Resupply Services 2 program. In March 2019, the Crew Dragon space capsule was finally launched into space for the first time during the Demo-1 test flight. During this uncrewed test flight, the Crew Dragon space capsule docked with the ISS before returning to Earth and splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.
Two experienced astronauts
The first crewed test flight of the Crew Dragon was originally scheduled for July 2019, but due to some additional problems during previous tests, this important launch was postponed. The two American astronauts who will be sent into space during the Demo-2 mission are Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. They were selected as NASA astronauts in 2000, and they are both highly experienced pilots and astronauts who have each been to space twice in recent years. The astronauts will be launched into space from Launch Complex LC 39A at the Kennedy Space Center using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is scheduled for 10:32 p.m. Belgian time, and less than ten minutes after liftoff, the astronauts should be aboard the Crew Dragon space capsule in low Earth orbit. As with other SpaceX Falcon 9 launches, the Falcon 9’s lower rocket stage must also return to Earth so that it can be reused again. Once in space, the astronauts will have to conduct extensive testing and inspection of the new space capsule, after which it will be docked to the International Space Station. The new spacecraft has been developed to dock with the space station fully automatically, but the astronauts can take over the maneuver if necessary. It is not yet clear how long Behnken and Hurley will live and work aboard the space station, but NASA is currently considering making this an official long-term mission that will last several months. At the end of their mission, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will return to Earth in the Crew Dragon space capsule and splash down in the Atlantic Ocean.
Cool space suits and leather seats.
SpaceX has developed the Dragon 2, or Crew Dragon, capsule in two different versions. There is a crewed version of the Crew Dragon and a cargo version. Each Crew Dragon space capsule has a maximum diameter of 3.7 meters, a height of 8.1 meters, and a weight of 6.3 tons without payload or crew. To be able to maneuver in orbit, the crewed version of the Crew Dragon is equipped with eight SuperDraco engines, while the cargo version will have four SuperDraco engines. These thrusters also act as a “launch escape system” so that the capsule can fly away from the rocket in the event of a serious problem with the Falcon 9 launch vehicle during launch. On board this new crewed space capsule, it can accommodate up to seven astronauts, all of whom can sit in special leather seats that resemble racing car seats. There are three seats on the lower deck and four on the upper deck. A number of the seats on board the capsule can also be replaced with luggage racks. Above the captain and co-pilot’s seats are several touch screens, a control panel with a number of buttons, and a joystick on a movable arm that can be used to operate the dragon. In addition to astronauts, the Dragon 2 capsule can also carry 3.3 tons of cargo to the International Space Station. The big advantage of the Crew Dragon is that this capsule can be used multiple times. For example, SpaceX claims that each Crew Dragon capsule can be used up to ten times before being taken out of service. Compared to the previous version of the Dragon space capsule, which was used several times to supply the International Space Station, the Crew Dragon has larger windows, new computers, newer solar panels, and is equipped with a third-generation heat shield that is less laminated during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. One of the most important features of the Crew Dragon capsule is that it can operate in a vacuum environment and provides complete protection for the astronauts on board in the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure. For this purpose, SpaceX has also developed its own spacesuits that are less bulky and rigid than existing spacesuits, and according to the space company, they also look “cooler.”
The Crew Dragon space capsule is prepared for the crewed Demo-2 test flight in May 2020 – Image: SpaceX
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