SpaceX Tweaks Dragon’s Heat Shield, Parachutes Before New Flight
- Issues didn’t pose any danger in test flight, company says
- Next crewed mission to space station is planned for Oct. 31
SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule spacecraft lands in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, on Aug. 2.
Source: NASA/Getty Images
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made two minor changes to its Crew Dragon spacecraft ahead of a mission next month to the International Space Station, based on data collected earlier this year from the vehicle’s first flight with astronauts.
The company is reinforcing the Dragon’s heat shield after finding more erosion than expected, Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability, said Tuesday at a National Aeronautics and Space Administration news conference. The erosion affected four small areas where the capsule connects to the vehicle’s trunk, which is jettisoned before landing.