Questions tagged [dragon]
SpaceX cargo capsule for lifting payloads to orbit. Launched on a Falcon 9 rocket. Use [dragon-v2] for the Crew Dragon version of this project.
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Will the ISS need more docking ports?
Currently the ISS has two basic segments, the Russian and US sides.
The Russian side has 4 docking ports. Usually occupied by 2 Soyuz, 1 or 2 Progress freighters or an ESA ATV vehicle.
You can see ...
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Would this chair support astronaut during launch in Crew Dragon
Recently reporters were allowed to take pictures of Crew Dragon and the SpaceX flight suit. Among them is this picture:
I was under the impression that:
Chairs needed to be custom molded / adjusted ...
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Why did SpaceX choose to use Hydrazine over newer “green” propellants for Dragon 2?
Firstly, I understand the need to use hypergolics over cryogenics as part of Dragon 2's abort and landing sequence - they provide "instant on" thrust and are throttlable with very wide ...
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Why does SpaceX have a launch window for a pad abort test?
SpaceX has announced a pad abort test for the Dragon crew capsule on May 5th. They have a 4 hour launch window for the test.
There is no destination, so why would there be a launch window in this ...
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Reason for different “cone angles” of different space capsules?
Here is the Cargo Dragon:
And here is the Orion:
The "cone" that orion makes has a large opening angle - perhaps about 70 degrees. Meanwhile, the Dragon is almost cylindrical - the opening angle is ...
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What payload was expected for the 2018 Mars Dragon flight (“Red Dragon”)
SpaceX has long been planning to use Dragon capsules to carry objects anywhere in the Solar System. They have officially announced a 2018 launch to Mars. Specifically, the launch window is April-May ...
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Did the ISS have to adjust its course when the SpaceX Dragon capsule was detached?
We had this question which discussed if space craft had to be corrected in their orbits from the movements from the people inside. (No as their net movement cancels each force out)
Following on from ...
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How much of Dragon might have survived the explosion of CRS-7 and for how long?
At June 28th 2015, the SpaceX flight CRS-7 failed when the Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket exploded minutes after liftoff.
Shotwell said twice during the press conference that Dragon capsule was transmitting ...
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Can Dragon, or Dragon V2 be used to boost the ISS orbit?
One of the roles that Progress (and ATV) fulfill at the ISS is station reboost.
This works because they can dock at the back of the Zvezda module, and boost inline with the station. I cannot find a ...
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Dragon V2: How many times can the spacecraft be reused? Is the spacecraft's heat shield reusable?
I read that the Boeing CST-100 could be reused up to 10 times, but the heat shield should be changed each time.
Here are my questions:
How many times can the Dragon V2 be reused?
Will it be reused ...
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What improvements have SpaceX made to their proprietary Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA-X) heat shield?
PICA-X is a SpaceX proprietary variant on the NASA Ames developed PICA (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator) heat shield material. NASA quotes decades of rigorous research, testing and development ...
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Why hasn't Dragon been reused before CRS-11?
Given that SpaceX's Dragon has been designed to be reusable ("with minimal rework and fueling"), why hasn't it been, in fact, reused?
We've had 6 CRS missions bringing Dragon to ISS and back home (...
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Could the current dragon v2 heat shield withstand a reentry from the moon?
I wonder if the Dragon V2 heat shield could withstand the extreme speed of a reentry from the moon. Or is it only capable of LEO flights?
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Why is Dragon the only spacecraft that is currently in use to not need a fairing for launch?
Dragon is the only spacecraft I know of currently in use that doesn't need a fairing for launch on top of a rocket. I know there are others in development or in testing like Dragon v2 and CST-100(not ...
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Are there any drawbacks or potential dangers on using touch-sensitive instrument panels on spacecraft?
Just as seen on Orion and Dragon designs (I haven't checked on other current spacecrafts), there are a lot of benefits from using touch-sensitive panels instead of traditional electrical switches.
...
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How does the landing accuracy of Dragon (under parachutes) compare to Soyuz?
The Dragon capsule landed yesterday, and I saw this picture of it:
Historically, capsules had a rather large uncertainty when landing, especially with parachutes. This picture was obviously taken ...
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Why does SpaceX not label the Dragon capsules externally?
Looking at a great answer to a question about Dragons berthing orientation at the ISS which shows images of the 5 CRS Dragons berthed to the ISS one thing struck me. There looks to be no easy way to ...
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How is Dragon-v2 prepared for being docked for months at ISS?
The Dragon spacecraft is being certified for manned spaceflight. If it's to replace Soyuz, though, it will have to serve as an escape pod for the crew. The current delivery missions are proving its ...
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Why couldn't the (original) Dragon land in the Atlantic?
Some of the coverage of the last flight of an original Dragon freighter mentions that the coming Dragon 2 will be able to land in the Atlantic, with resulting advantages:
Beginning with the CRS-21 ...
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How much of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon capsule are 3D printed?
I know some of the components at SpaceX are manufactured using metal additive manufacturing (3D printing), but how much of the entire Falcon 9 launch vehicle or Dragon capsule is made up of printed ...
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Why will SpaceX do Pad Abort test from a truss, not a real first and second stage?
SpaceX will be doing a Pad Abort test at LC-40 in Florida for the Dragon V2 vehicle to close out the CCiCAP criteria.
They will not be using a real first or second stage, instead building some kind ...
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Is the Dragon useful as a Lunar hopper?
The Dragon capsule of SpaceX is seriously considered by NASA for a sample return mission from Mars in 2022, according to Larry Lemke.
Could a Dragon be used also for hopping around on the Moon? ...
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Could Dragon 1.0 be used as an emergency Earth return vehicle
In a completely hypothetical scenario, say both of the Soyuz vehicles docked to the station were damaged/destroyed, but there was a Dragon 1.0 on the station left intact. Although i don't believe it ...
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How will Dragon v2's solar panels be protected during launch on top of Falcon 9?
When Elon Musk unveiled Dragon v2 last year, we got our first truly good look at what SpaceX's crew vehicle is like. Apart from the ability to propulsively land, one of the big changes was the lack of ...
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Who can now resupply the ISS?
There are 4 major spacecraft that can supply the ISS. Progress, Dragon, ATV, and Cygnus. Of these 4 spacecraft, only the ATV has not had an issue in the last 8 months. ATV has stated they will not ...
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On which flights could SpaceX test Crew Dragon powered landing with complete flight profile?
For the booster stage of Falcon 9, test landings after a full flight profile are relatively frequent. SpaceX can try those on each CRS mission to the ISS, and in theory, any other launch that wouldn't ...
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What is this diagram shown during Dragon docking with the ISS?
While docking with the ISS, the live stream showed this diagram with a green line starting at the capsule and looping around the area of the ISS. It would sporadically change and loop around the ...
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Where/how did the CRS-10 Dragon capsule “wait” before the 2nd, successful docking attempt?
After one halted attempt at docking with the ISS, the CRS-10 Dragon capsule successfully completed the maneuver. In the time between the two attempts, Dragon must have maintained some kind of orbit ...
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Why does SpaceX not use the Crew Dragon for CRS missions to test it?
SpaceX has the Dragon 1 (Cargo) and Dragon 2 (Crew). It unveiled Dragon 2 about 1 year ago (30 May 2014). Dragon 2 is a radical change over Dragon 1 with many parts that are untested.
I would think ...
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Will the 2018 Mars Dragon Lander be the largest lander on Mars to date?
Assuming the Dragon V2 will be the lander for SpaceX Mars mission launching in 2018, will it be the largest lander (either by weight or by size) that humans have put on Mars to date?
Wikipedia has ...
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When will they be landing Dragon retropropulsively?
I keep expecting SpaceX to start doing powered landings of the dragon, or at least tests. But to my knowledge they haven't even done a drop test yet. Does anyone know what their plans are in regards ...
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Do astronauts on the ISS ever secure unpressurized cargo with an EVA to then be brought inside through an airlock?
Spacex's Dragon and JAXA's HTV are currently the only vehicles that can bring unpressurized cargo in addition to the pressurized one inside the vehicle.
In the odd event that the ISS urgently needs ...
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Why is the Dragon small compared with the Falcon 9 LEO payload
According to wikipedia, the Falcon 9 1.0 had ca. 10t payload capacity to LEO. The Dragon has a 3.3t payload capacity to the ISS with a dry mass of 4.2t that leaves 2.5t unused lift capacity.
Is this ...
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What Dragon was used in May 2015 Pad Abort test?
Originally it was suggested by Elon Musk that the Dragon shown at the unveiling was the test article, or at least large components of it, to be used in the Pad Abort (May 6, 2015) and then the Max ...
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What goes in the bottom of the Dragon structural dome?
The Dragon has a structural dome shaped like a truncated cone (A below) on a stubby cylinder (B).
Q: Is the crew section entirely in the truncated cone, or is it split in two stories with the second ...
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What is the circular item that fell off of the returning booster during the CRS-16 mission?
During reentry of the first stage booster on the Dragon Resupply Mission (CRS-16), there was a ring-looking item that floated away from the booster.
I would imagine it is some sort of ice debris, but ...
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Can the SpaceX Dragon leave the 'trunk' in orbit?
The Chinese have accomplished quite a bit with the service module left in space following the return of their latest lunar mission. I was wondering if something similar could be done using the 'trunk' ...
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Why don't ISS supply missions use their full payload capacity?
I was reading a NASA study talking about the benefits of flying the Dragon spacecraft vs the Space Shuttle. The study mentions that both launch systems use only about 2/3 of their payload capacity ...
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How is unpressurized cargo useful at the ISS?
The Dragon is designed to be able to bring unpressurized cargo to the ISS. How can such cargo be brought on board the ISS? What uses can such unpressurized cargo have?
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Is that Dragon's cargo exposed to space environment in this picture?
The lower section of Dragon, holding the solar panels, are ditched during descent.
So, is Dragon carrying cargo in that section during ascent?
Source of the image: Launch & Spacecraft Visit to ...
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How could SpaceX’s crew Dragon land with abort thrusters in case of emergencies?
Reading this question and this article linked in one answer, in case of two or three main parachute failure, how could super-dracos be able to slow down vertical velocity short before touchdown, since ...
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Does Dragon have any timeframes during launch where there is not a planned survivable abort mode?
The space shuttle had many scenarios with combinations of SSMEs or SRB failures where there was no planned survivable abort available because of a variety of factors (aerodynamics, energy, g forces, ...
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Is the Dragon Mono-Stable?
Re-entry vehicles tend to be either mono-stable (eg soyuz) or bi-stable (apollo) which refers to the orientations in which they're aerodynamically stable. In at least one case, this has proved very ...
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Is the Falcon 9 second stage engine throttled down to limit maximum acceleration
Is the Falcon 9 second stage Merlin vacuum engine throttled down during its burn to limit the maximum acceleration experienced by the Dragon or Crew Dragon capsule?
As the second stage consumes ...
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Will Dragon V2 when crewed carry cargo in its trunk?
With the reveal of the Dragon V2 (Or is it Dragon 2 now? Or Dragonrider?) we saw a new trunk design where the solar panels are wrapped around the trunk instead of being deployed like wings from the ...
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What is the specified procedure to follow if there is a fail to create an airtight seal during hard dock?
I was watching the docking process of Dragon to the ISS including both the "soft dock" process, which was then followed by the hard dock involving 2 sets of 6 locking mechanisms.
I believe I'm ...
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Crew Dragon SuperDraco Engine Covers
(Source: Nasa Spaceflight article)
While looking at the new images of the upcoming crew dragon launch I noticed a distinct lack of holes in the part of the dragon the Engines are supposed to be in. ...
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How does the SpaceX Dragon nosecone separate?
SpaceX's Dragon uses a nosecone to protect the docking port during ascent.
The nosecone seems very large. 1/3 of the capsule's height large. And yet, it separates while the second stage engine is ...
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SpaceX Dragon, what's new?
On April 10, 2015, Elon Musk tweeted 2 photos of the Dragon spacecraft being prepared for the CRS-6 mission:
He said "points if you notice what's new". I'm wondering what is new about this Dragon?
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How has the Dragon v2 been tested before its launch pad abort test?
Dragon of SpaceX has been very successfully tested and used.
But Dragon v2 seems to be differently designed and has 8 superdraco engines.
Has the v2 been drop tested from a balloon or helicopter?
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