SpaceX Crew Dragon: Revolutionising Space Exploration
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| NASA/SpaceX / Public domain; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SpaceX_Crew_Dragon_(More_cropped).jpg |
Today, on the 30th of May 2020, experienced
US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Herley will be launched into orbit. Their
mission to the International Space Station, known as Crew Demo-2, will make
them the first astronauts to launch from American soil in almost a decade. It
will also be the first manned space mission for SpaceX. The company was founded
in 2002 by Elon Musk who has previously promised to send paying customers into
orbit sparking a new era of space tourism.[1] His long-term
goals for the company include the colonisation of Mars.[2]
Resurrection
In 2011, NASA officially retired
its 30-year Space Shuttle Program. Many believe that a successful SpaceX
mission would ‘resurrect the US's human spaceflight capabilities and open a new
era of commercial space exploration.’[3] NASA’s decision to retire
the programme was motivated by its plans to ‘devote its resources to sending
astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit, to an asteroid, back to the moon and
eventually Mars.’[4] As a result of this, in the following years,
NASA had to resort to buying seats for its astronauts to fly on Russia’s Soyuz
spacecraft. These seats costs ‘tens of millions of dollars per flight.’[5]
Plans for the retirement of the
Space Shuttle Program were announced in early 2004 by President George W Bush.[6]
This is believed to have been caused by the tragic Columbia disaster of 2003.
Columbia disaster
On the 1st of February 2003,
the space shuttle Columbia was making its way back to Earth. Unfortunately, as
it re-entered the atmosphere, it disintegrated, tragically killing all 7 crew
members. A hole on the left wing ‘allowed atmospheric gases to bleed into the
shuttle as it went through its fiery re-entry’[7] destroying the
space shuttle from within. This is thought to have been due to a strike from a large
piece of foam from the shuttle’s main fuel tank which fell during launch. NASA,
who had known about this issue in previous missions, was widely criticised for
allowing the flight to continue.[7]
Revolution
The Dragon spacecraft can carry 7
passengers as opposed to just 3 in its Russian counterpart. This would allow
NASA to send more astronauts to the International Space Station at a lower cost
where they can carry out vital experiments.[3]
This SpaceX mission is anticipated
to revolutionise space exploration, opening pathways to space tourism, Mars
colonisation and further development of our knowledge of the vast cosmos.
Sources:
1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45518776
2. https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-mars-plan-timeline-2018-10?r=US&IR=T
3. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spacex-astronaut-launch-nasa-is-important-2020-5?r=US&IR=T
4. https://www.space.com/12804-nasa-space-shuttle-program-officially-ends.html
5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52739539
Hi Tingkai,
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated by this article - good job!
I was wondering if you thought that the commercialisation of space travel is (overall) a positive thing. Whilst providing an incentive in the form of profit is likely to boost space innovation, is it possible that by doing so, companies will disregard sustainable innovation, and be slightly careless?
A company like NASA will ensure that their rockets are as safe as possible, not only for the humans on board, but for future humans, who face a much greater risk if the debris (which can travel at up to speeds of 28,000 km/h) of failed rockets are orbiting in space. I fear that the privatisation of the space industry could lead to companies rushing designs etc, which would have catastrophic implications as mentioned.
Hi,
DeleteThanks for your question. The issue of sustainability is very important. Scientists are constantly developing and improving ideas around spacecraft manufacturing and I believe that sustainability could be both financially beneficial as well as environmentally friendly. For instance, SpaceX has already developed reusable technologies. In fact, the Dragon 2 mentioned in this post is partially reusable. Removing the need to create new equipment for every launch saves companies a lot of money.
Advances in the field of metamaterials look promising and could improve the reusability of all spacecraft components (see https://www.washington.edu/news/2019/05/24/origami-inspired-materials-could-reduce-impact-forces/).
With regards to safety, private companies like SpaceX carry out the necessary tests before launching astronauts. Prior to this launch, SpaceX and NASA even carried out a test to show that the Dragon can 'whisk astronauts to safety in the event of a rocket failure' (https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-crew-dragon-spaceship-abort-test-success-elon-musk-nasa-2020-1?r=US&IR=T). Of course, constant regulation will be required to ensure the safety of those on board.
Makes sense - a goos idea from SpaceX. Thank You!
DeleteAs you mention, the next goal for space travel is to reach Mars, and many companies have an ambition to colonise Mars in the not so far future.
ReplyDeleteOne important issue that scientists and physicists must overcome before such feat is possible is adjusting the human body for the presence of a gravitational field with a strength many times that of Earth. As seen when astronauts return from the ISS, the effect of the lower gravitational field on the human body is profound - muscles are wasted and many astronauts cannot even walk when they return. What do you think scientists must do/develop to overcome such obstacles?
Astronauts at the International Space Station have to exercise around two hours everyday to maintain muscle mass and bone structure. This prevents their bodies from basically dissolving due to weightlessness. I am not sure if other ways to combat this issue are possible/realistic on a large scale but daily exercise has certainly proven to be effective. Artificial gravity is a concept which has been proposed where an inertial force is used to mimic the effects of gravity. Unfortunately, there are issues with its wide-scale implementation.
Delete