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SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule Sets American Spaceflight Records
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule has set multiple American spaceflight records during its recent mission. The spacecraft made a robotic resupply run to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA and arrived at the orbiting lab on June 6, 2021.
Setting Records
Dragon has set two records during its latest mission:
- This is the 38th mission to the ISS to date for a SpaceX capsule, besting the 37 such flights that NASA’s space shuttle orbiters racked up.
- On Tuesday, the Dragon 2 fleet’s cumulative time in space surpassed the space shuttle fleet’s time with 1,324 total days in orbit!
Dragon 2
Dragon 2 is the latest reusable capsule that SpaceX began flying in 2020. There are crewed and uncrewed Dragon 2 variants. Crew Dragon has now flown 10 astronaut missions, most of them six-month trips to the ISS for NASA. The current resupply mission, known as CRS-28, is the eighth for the cargo version of Dragon 2. Such robotic cargo runs tend to last three to four weeks apiece.
Space Shuttle Orbiters
NASA flew five different space shuttle orbiters on a total of 135 missions from 1981 until the program’s end in 2011. Two of those vehicles were lost, along with their seven-astronaut crews, in tragic accidents: Challenger in January 1986 and Columbia in February 2003. The space shuttles helped build the ISS, which did not host its first astronauts until November 2000.
Dragon 1
In addition, the earlier Dragon 1 cargo capsule launched 22 times between December 2010 and March 2020, making it to the ISS on 20 occasions. (The first flight, in December 2010, was a test to Earth orbit that did not attempt a rendezvous with the orbiting lab. SpaceX also suffered a launch failure during a robotic ISS resupply mission in June 2015.)
Conclusion
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule continues to make history during each succeeding mission. The latest mission sets records that highlight just how capable and reliable spaceflight has become. With the Dragon capsule, SpaceX has demonstrated that spaceflight can be successful and sustainable.
FAQ
What is the Dragon capsule?
The Dragon capsule is a reliable and reusable space vehicle developed by SpaceX. It is designed to make both crewed and uncrewed trips to the International Space Station.
How does the Dragon capsule differ from the space shuttle orbiters?
The Dragon capsule is a major improvement over the space shuttle orbiters because it uses the most advanced technology available. It is highly capable, reliable, and reusable. The space shuttle orbiters, on the other hand, were designed to be piloted by humans and were not able to make uncrewed flights.
What records did the Dragon capsule set?
The Dragon capsule set two records during its most recent mission. One, it is the 38th mission to the ISS for a SpaceX capsule, besting the 37 such flights that NASA’s space shuttle orbiters racked up. Two, the Dragon 2 fleet’s cumulative time in space surpassed the space shuttle fleet’s time with 1,324 total days in orbit!
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