Thinking about why NASA is annoyed about Elon Musk's giant rocket.
SpaceX has never flown a person into space in its first spacecraft, the Crew Dragon.
Which is surprising.
The company is already showing off its much bigger, and shinier cousin, which is the Starship. It was built in Boca, Chica, the southeastern tip of Texas, as part of a plan to carry massive crews into deep space.
In March, SpaceX completed one uncrewed mission to the International Space Station using the Crew Dragon.
It planned to launch a crewed mission later in 2019, which many are waiting to see.
SpaceX and NASA put off the planned first crewed mission because of the explosion of a Crew Dragon capsule during engine testing in April.
On the 30th of September, the CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, told CNN that the Crew Dragon would be ready to carry astronauts into space in three to four months.
NASA Administrator, Jim Bridenstine told CNN he wasn't convinced by SpaceX's operations, and because of delays from SpaceX and Boeing, he anticipated that NASA would buy more seats aboard Russian capsules.
"I am looking forward to the SpaceX announcement. In the meantime, Commercial Crew is years behind schedule. NASA expects to see the same level of enthusiasm focused on the investments of the American taxpayer. It's time to deliver," he said.
So the questions are, why is SpaceX building two ships, and why is the company in a public quarrel with the NASA administrator?
Crew Dragon is SpaceX's answer to a problem that began after NASA retired its space shuttle program, in July 2011.
NASA has essentially hired SpaceX and Boeing under the theory that the private companies could operate more efficiently than the bureaucratic space agency.
Vice President Mike Pence announced in March 2019 that NASA wants to return to the moon and land the first woman on the lunar surface by 2024. So it wants Commercial Crew operational now.
That was before the explosion of Crew Dragon capsule, setting back Commercial Crew Program that's in plan.
According to SpaceNews, there have also been concerns about the safety of the Crew Dragon's parachutes.
Question is why build the shiny Starship when Crew Dragon is still being perfected? This should be looked into.
For years, Musk has brought up Starship in his talks - SpaceX's vision for a vehicle to accomplish more of what NASA has wanted to achieve with SLS.
If Crew Dragon were on schedule and offering NASA a way into space without being expensive, Russian assistance, Bridenstine might have been happier to see Musk standing in front of his giant, shiny new rocket ship.
Musk has said that SpaceX is still focused on developing Crew Dragon, estimating that Starship takes just about 5% of the company's resources. Which is a considerable addition.
SEE ALSO: The Possibility Of Landing Man On Mars Within 5 years.
Do you think SpaceX is taking the right decision by adding Starship to the current Crew Dragon that's still in development?
SpaceX has never flown a person into space in its first spacecraft, the Crew Dragon.
Which is surprising.
The company is already showing off its much bigger, and shinier cousin, which is the Starship. It was built in Boca, Chica, the southeastern tip of Texas, as part of a plan to carry massive crews into deep space.
In March, SpaceX completed one uncrewed mission to the International Space Station using the Crew Dragon.
It planned to launch a crewed mission later in 2019, which many are waiting to see.
SpaceX and NASA put off the planned first crewed mission because of the explosion of a Crew Dragon capsule during engine testing in April.
On the 30th of September, the CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, told CNN that the Crew Dragon would be ready to carry astronauts into space in three to four months.
NASA Administrator, Jim Bridenstine told CNN he wasn't convinced by SpaceX's operations, and because of delays from SpaceX and Boeing, he anticipated that NASA would buy more seats aboard Russian capsules.
"I am looking forward to the SpaceX announcement. In the meantime, Commercial Crew is years behind schedule. NASA expects to see the same level of enthusiasm focused on the investments of the American taxpayer. It's time to deliver," he said.
So the questions are, why is SpaceX building two ships, and why is the company in a public quarrel with the NASA administrator?
Crew Dragon is SpaceX's answer to a problem that began after NASA retired its space shuttle program, in July 2011.
NASA has essentially hired SpaceX and Boeing under the theory that the private companies could operate more efficiently than the bureaucratic space agency.
Vice President Mike Pence announced in March 2019 that NASA wants to return to the moon and land the first woman on the lunar surface by 2024. So it wants Commercial Crew operational now.
That was before the explosion of Crew Dragon capsule, setting back Commercial Crew Program that's in plan.
According to SpaceNews, there have also been concerns about the safety of the Crew Dragon's parachutes.
Question is why build the shiny Starship when Crew Dragon is still being perfected? This should be looked into.
For years, Musk has brought up Starship in his talks - SpaceX's vision for a vehicle to accomplish more of what NASA has wanted to achieve with SLS.
If Crew Dragon were on schedule and offering NASA a way into space without being expensive, Russian assistance, Bridenstine might have been happier to see Musk standing in front of his giant, shiny new rocket ship.
Musk has said that SpaceX is still focused on developing Crew Dragon, estimating that Starship takes just about 5% of the company's resources. Which is a considerable addition.
SEE ALSO: The Possibility Of Landing Man On Mars Within 5 years.
Do you think SpaceX is taking the right decision by adding Starship to the current Crew Dragon that's still in development?
NASA was instrimental for getting SpaceX up and running, they are also usefull for their testing. But going forward NASA is a burden. They are too risk adverse, to set in old ways.
ReplyDeleteStarlink will grant SpaceX a budget larger than NASA to spend as they like. Building fleets of StarShips each capable of lifting a ISS worth of mass per day per ship!.
Being free of NASA allows SpaceX to do as they please. Remeber NASA is tied by international treaties, SpaceX isn't.
Yes,you are right.
Delete