Tesla boss Musk’s SpaceX stops building space capsules

Fleet is limited to four Crew Dragon space capsules

SpaceX relies on reusable spacecraft

Orbital flight test of Starship rocket could take place as early as May

Fleet limit of four Crew Dragons

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s space company is likely to stop producing the Crew Dragon astronaut capsules. This is what a senior executive at SpaceX told the Reuters news service. The Crew Dragons fleet was limited to four capsules. Overall, the company is concentrating its resources on its next-generation spacecraft program. Along with this, the SpaceX team faces new challenges as they learn to maintain a fleet and quickly fix unexpected problems without disrupting the busy schedule of astronaut missions. “We’re finishing our last (capsule) but we’re still making components because we’re going to overhaul them,” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told Reuters. However, the company will still be able to build more capsules should a need arise in the future.

Crew Dragon has already launched five crews

Since 2020, SpaceX has already brought five crews of state and private astronauts into space with the Crew Dragon fleet. The company’s business model is based on reusable spacecraft, which is why the capsules are refurbished after each flight at SpaceX’s Florida facilities, which the company calls “Dragonland.” However, after the capsules have been used several times, there are also life cycle problems, according to retired NASA astronaut and former SpaceX department head Garrett Reisman, who now advises the company on human spaceflight issues. “SpaceX is really good at identifying these issues quickly and then fixing them quickly,” Reisman told the agency.

First Starship launch delayed

A possible successor to the Crew Dragon is the Starship rocket. “Starship, if it achieves its design goals, would be able to cost-effectively replace anything that the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Dragon can do,” Reisman said. When completed, the Starship rocket will also make it far beyond the ISS. For example, flights to the moon and Mars are planned. However, the first launch of a Starship rocket had been delayed for months due to engine development hurdles and regulatory reviews.

First Starship orbital flight will be with Raptor 2 engines, as they are much more capable & reliable. 230 tons or ~500k lb thrust at sea level.

Well have 39 flightworthy engines built by next month, then another month to integrate, so hopefully May for orbital flight test.

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2022

However, as Musk states on Twitter, a first orbital flight test in May is quite realistic: “The first orbital flight of a spacecraft will be with Raptor 2 engines, as they are much more powerful and reliable. 230 tons or ~500k lb thrust at sea level. Until Next month we will have 39 airworthy engines built, then another month for integration, so hopefully an orbital flight test in May.”

E. Schmal / Editor finanzen.net

Image sources: SpaceX