Photo: SpaceX
The dream of having American astronauts climbing towards the sky onboard home-made capsules once again is inching closer and closer to reality, as NASA, SpaceX and all other parties involved are finishing test after test on the Crew Dragon capsule.
This week, NASA’s Glenn Research Center director Janet Kavandi said the capsule completed the thermal vacuum and acoustics tests it started back in May at the Plum Brook facility. According to Space News, the director did not elaborate on the results of the tests.
“They just left yesterday or today,” she said according to the source. “They’ve been out there twice, at least, at Plum Brook Station.”
Theoretically, the vacuum chamber test is the last before the capsule will be heading to its official pairing and final testing with its carrier rocket, the Falcon 9. There is no timeframe for this to happen yet, but it appears SpaceX believes the launch will take place soon.
Last month, SpaceX published a video showing the Dragon conducting a parachute system test. The test marked the 16th time SpaceX has put the parachute system through its paces as a means to ensure safety for the crew in case of a low altitude abort.
According to SpaceX, the advanced emergency escape system of the Dragon would allow astronauts to escape in the case of an accident while experiencing about the same G-forces as a ride at Disneyland.
The Crew Dragon is to be the manned-version of the Dragon currently making trips to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It will be capable of carrying up to seven astronauts seated in carbon fiber seats wrapped in Alcantara cloth.
When it becomes operational, the Crew Dragon will be used to launch astronauts to the ISS and later, with the help of the Big Falcon Rocket, to the Moon and Mars.
“They just left yesterday or today,” she said according to the source. “They’ve been out there twice, at least, at Plum Brook Station.”
Theoretically, the vacuum chamber test is the last before the capsule will be heading to its official pairing and final testing with its carrier rocket, the Falcon 9. There is no timeframe for this to happen yet, but it appears SpaceX believes the launch will take place soon.
Last month, SpaceX published a video showing the Dragon conducting a parachute system test. The test marked the 16th time SpaceX has put the parachute system through its paces as a means to ensure safety for the crew in case of a low altitude abort.
According to SpaceX, the advanced emergency escape system of the Dragon would allow astronauts to escape in the case of an accident while experiencing about the same G-forces as a ride at Disneyland.
The Crew Dragon is to be the manned-version of the Dragon currently making trips to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It will be capable of carrying up to seven astronauts seated in carbon fiber seats wrapped in Alcantara cloth.
When it becomes operational, the Crew Dragon will be used to launch astronauts to the ISS and later, with the help of the Big Falcon Rocket, to the Moon and Mars.
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