Jerome Strach

June 19th, 2017

Astronauts Dan Burbank (left) and Victor Glover evaluate the interior of the SpaceX Recovery Trainer, a full-scale practice version of the companys Crew Dragon spacecraft. The trainer is to be used by astronauts and support teams to rehearse recovery techniques for missions. The Crew Dragon is in development in partnership with NASAs Commercial Crew Program to take astronauts to the International Space Station. (Click for full view) Photo & Caption Credit: NASA

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is continuing with their development of the Crew Dragon capsule, which is being built for NASA per the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) agreements. The evolution in Dragon design has been shaped by the CRS contract drawing a line between a cargo version and a crew version.

Dragon v1 has been responsible for delivering 10 cargo shipments to theInternational Space Station (ISS). Crew Dragon, or Dragon v2, will fly crews to Low Earth Orbit(LEO) as early as 2018, thereby re-enabling the United States to transport its astronauts into space from their home ground.

Crew Dragon in orbit. CGI Credit: Nathan Koga / SpaceFlight Insider

In Florida, at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), engineers are building a full-scale model, orRecovery Trainer, of the Crew Dragon capsule. Training is best executed when real artifacts or carefully created test articles can be utilized in real-world scenarios. This training is essential foreveryone involved to assist in better defining procedures when things go wrong and lives are atstake.

The Dragon Recovery Trainer has been constructed with the aid of the Kennedy Prototype Lab, which has a history of providing fast solutions to complex design challenges. SpaceX is putting the finishing engineering touches into theRecovery Trainer to ensure that it will float identically to how an actual Dragon v2 will with a crewpresent.

NASA has a documented history of test flights and practice runs that ensure the flight crew,support crew, and emergency personnel are able to perform as expected during an emergencyevent. One notable incident was Gus Grissom in Liberty Bell 7 when the hatch prematurely blew on hiscapsule and suddenly the Navy was faced with a drowning astronaut and a sinking capsule. Itis critical to ensure that both crew and rescue personnel know what to do in case of an emergency.

Unlike Liberty Bell 7, the Crew Dragon can carry up to seven astronauts, which makes evacuationmore challenging. Two escape hatches and other various components within the RecoveryTrainer will be present to better reflect a real-world environment for astronaut crew and Pararescuemen, also known as PJs.

Grissom prepares to enter Liberty Bell 7. Photo Credit: NASA

USAF Pararescuemen will be required to enter the water to assist in any number ofrescue scenarios where a crew may or may not be able to assist in their own recovery. This is anexercise that neither NASA nor the USAF takes casually and both organizations will invest many practicehours to ensure a safe environment and rapid execution of rescue.

The real SpaceX Dragon v2 spacecraft has numerous features integrated into the design toensure that it is a very safe ship. It has an integrated thrust system that incorporates four pairs of twoSuperDraco engines, each engine providing about 16,000 lbf (71.2 kN) of thrust each. The SuperDraco engines are not only designedto lift the Dragon v2 with a crew away from a launch mishap to safety but also will allow the spacecraft to land anywhere on Earth with the precision of ahelicopter even if two of the eight engines fail.

Each SuperDraco engine, created with a 3-D printing process using an Inconel superalloy, sits within an isolated nacelle. Additionally, if during a descent from orbit the computers detect any of the SuperDraco engines are suffering froman anomaly, the Dragon also has an integrated parachute recovery system that has robustnessbuilt into its design. To paraphrase Elon Musks feelings on the matter, he expressedconfidence that if there is a safer way to design the capsule, he doesnt know what that is.

Additionally, the PICA-X heat shield is a 3rd generation derivative minimizing ablation duringre-entry allowing for maximum reflights of the hardware with minimal refurbishing effort. Finally,the gumdrop shape design allows for automatic orienting of the spacecraft through re-entryeven if the flight computers are compromised.

In July 2011, the United States ended its capability to launch astronauts from its soil when Congress stopped funding the Space Transportation Shuttle (a.k.a. the Space Shuttle). Since then, NASA has paid for seats on Russias Soyuz spacecraft, thereby fulfilling the role of ferrying U.S. astronauts to and from the ISS.

Soon, Boeing and SpaceX will provide a crewed capsule capability with the CRS program to ensure that U.S. astronauts no longer have to rely on a foreign government for transportation to LEO or beyond. Americans and Congress anticipate that day with pressing eagerness.

Tagged: Commercial Resupply Services Crew Dragon Dragon v2 Kennedy Space Center NASA SpaceX The Range

Jerome Strach has worked within the Silicon Valley community for 20 years including software entertainment and film. Along with experience in software engineering, quality assurance, and middle management, he has long been a fan of aerospace and entities within that industry. A voracious reader, a model builder, and student of photography and flight training, most of his spare time can be found focused on launch events and technology advancements including custom mobile app development. Best memory as a child is building and flying Estes rockets with my father. @Romn8tr

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Full-scale Crew Dragon recovery trainer being built at KSC - SpaceFlight Insider