Days after NASA confirmed that SpaceX is on track for the Crew Dragon launch on November 14th and the first Cargo Dragon 2 launch on December 2nd, a company executive says the back-to-back launch is a sign of things to come.
The first semi-functional Dragon spacecraft flew a decade ago in December 2010, followed by the spacecraft’s second orbital mission about 18 months later, during which SpaceX became the first private company in history to launch and finance a spacecraft with the International Space Station. ISS). Four months later, as part of SpaceX’s first NASA Commercial Response Services Mission (CRS-1), the Cargo Dragon successfully joined ISS for the second time, launching 19 operational space stations that would become an exceptionally successful run. Distribute a little less than the total met 45 metric tons (100,000 pounds).
SpaceX completed the completion of its NASA CRS1 contract in April 2020, effectively retiring the first pay generation Dragon spacecraft. Less than two months later, Crew Dragon – an upgraded ‘Dragon 2’ spacecraft – embarked on its second orbital mission and astronaut launch, with this flawless fulfillment making the first private company in history, SpaceX, certified by the nation to fly astronauts. Space Agency. Now, probably a little over two weeks apart, SpaceX is on track to try out its first operational astronaut launch. And The first launch of an upgraded cargo dragon spacecraft under the new NASA CRS2 cargo agreement.
Speaking at a press teleconference on November 10, the first and crew focused on the Dragon’s impending operational launch, SpaceX executive Benji Reed – a well-earned self-confident – revealed some impressive details about what the Dragon would expect going forward.
“Over the next 15 months, we will fly seven crew and cargo dragon missions to NASA. This means that starting with Crew-1, there will be a constant presence of the SpaceX Dragon in orbit. Starting with the cargo mission CRS-21, whenever we launch a dragon, there will be two dragons in space – simultaneously – for an extended period of time. Truly, we are returning to the capacity of the United States for full launch services and we are very, very honored to be a part of it. “
Benji Reed, SpaceX – November 10, 2020
In short, SpaceX has Seven Dragons schedule between November 2020 and January 2022, requiring an average speed of one dragon mission every two or more months. To accomplish that principle, SpaceX will start re-using both the crew and the cargo dragon to swim deep into the utility again. And Falcon 9 Boosters has commissioned them to launch. It is scheduled to be re-used as early as March 2021, with four astronauts heading to the International Space Station on a flight-proof booster, inside a flight-proof orbital spacecraft.
Meanwhile, thanks to NASA’s plans to extend the duration of the Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft and crew dragon missions averaging an average of two to six months a year, the SpaceX will soon be able to maintain an initial presence in space. November 14. As Reed notes, it also means that every two dragons will operate simultaneously in low Earth orbit (LEO) when SpaceX embarks on a cargo dragon reconnaissance mission.
Russia’s national space agency, Roscosmos, is the only other entity on Earth to claim the same capacity – now used almost simultaneously to operate several Soyuz crew and Progress cargo spacecraft simultaneously in orbit to serve as the only bridge between Earth and the ISS. . . If SpaceX’s Crew-1 Crew Dragon and CRS-21 Cargo Dragon launches are successful, the private US company will effectively become the backbone of the US spaceflight, almost single-handedly re-establishing the country’s position as a competitive space power.
