SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft is making headlines this week with two major developments - an unexpected NASA mission change and a groundbreaking private spacewalk attempt.
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| SpaceX chief Elon Musk discusses the Crew Dragon capsule and NASA's decision during a press conference |
NASA Taps SpaceX for Astronaut Return
In a surprising turn of events, NASA has decided to use SpaceX's Crew Dragon instead of Boeing's Starliner to bring back astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station (ISS). This decision comes after a NASA review determined the risks associated with using Starliner were too high.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell confirmed the company's readiness to support NASA's needs. The change will require some adjustments to the upcoming Crew-9 mission, scheduled for late September:
- The mission manifest will be updated, likely reducing the crew from four to accommodate Wilmore and Williams
- An additional SpaceX spacesuit will be sent to the ISS
- Careful coordination of ISS docking port availability
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| The Crew Dragon capsule descends through the atmosphere, symbolizing SpaceX's pivotal role in NASA's astronaut return missions |
Polaris Dawn: Pushing Boundaries of Commercial Spaceflight
Meanwhile, SpaceX is preparing for another milestone - the Polaris Dawn mission. Set to launch on August 27th, this private spaceflight will attempt the world's first commercial spacewalk. Key highlights include:
- A crew of four, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman
- Plans to reach an altitude of 870 miles (1,400 km), the farthest humans have traveled since Apollo
- Two crew members, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, will set the record for women traveling farthest from Earth
- A 15-20 minute spacewalk attempt by Isaacman and Gillis
- Testing of new SpaceX spacesuits and Starlink connectivity in orbit
These developments underscore SpaceX's growing role in both government and commercial spaceflight, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in low Earth orbit and beyond.