WCCFtech by Ramish Zafar 6/24/2020
SpaceX Dragon 2 Beats NASA Expectations – Crew 1 Vehicle Undergoing Tests Reveals Agency
With nearly a month since it took to the skies and docked with the International Space Station (ISS), Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s (SpaceX) Crew Dragon 2 vehicle is currently undergoing tests in low earth orbit (LEO). The vehicle is a crucial step in NASA's plans for expanding commercial presence in LEO, and in SpaceX's long-term approach of successfully delivering human and non-human payloads to LEO and beyond.
At a briefing conducted from the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Texas earlier today, agency officials provided updates about the Dragon 2 tests, NASA's plans for the vehicle's return to Earth and future of the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) for future flights once the DM-2 mission is successful. The briefing contained important facts about the Dragon 2 vehicle's performance under the DM-2 mission and on when crewed flights utilizing the Dragon 2 program will take to the skies.
SpaceX Dragon 2 Spacecraft's Solar Panels Exceed Power Generation Expectations Reveals NASA With Vehicle Generating More Power Than PredictedAt the press briefing, NASA's deputy manager for the CCP program Mr. Steve Stich revealed that estimates for solar panel degradation due to thermal changes while in orbit were slightly pessimistic and as a result, the panels' degradation is "better than expected". This will allow the Dragon 2 vehicle to stay docked with the ISS to let the crew perform upcoming spacewalks for battery replacements on the station.
NASA now intends to test the spacecraft's habitability with four crew members on board for launch and use, sleep hygiene tasks in emergencies, survival in the case that the Dragon 2 loses pressure and breathing mask transfer.
More:
https://wccftech.com/spacex-dragon-2-nasa-crew-2/
