All Questions
74
questions
4
votes
1
answer
233
views
splashdown time Dragon vs Soyuz
Why did it take 3 days for dragon since detach from ISS till splashdown - while Soyuz would take 3 hours ?
- 41
5
votes
0
answers
129
views
When docked, do Dragon solar panels contribute to ISS mains power?
What it says on the tin.
Does a docked Dragon trunk section contribute to the ISS's batteries? I'm aware it would probably be minimal though due to orientation and occlusion of the panels, and when ...
- 19.6k
23
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What standard was used by NASA to certify the Dragon capsule controls as safe for crewed flight?
After watching the livestreams of Crew-1 and Crew-2 missions, I was curious about the certification the capsule had to go through, especially with the new control panels which seem to be largely ...
- 703
1
vote
2
answers
348
views
Dragon RCS: Four controlled degrees of freedom... or six?
Would Dragon's RCS clusters allow it to translate cleanly left-right and backward-forward, like a crab? Or are they meant only for roll/pitch/yaw control + longitudinal (up/down) translation, like an ...
user39728
7
votes
0
answers
241
views
Crew Dragon: How thick is the skin?
Auto body panels are about 20-gauge, or just under 1 mm thick. This is fine for many reasons: thin panels are light for good fuel economy and crumple easily for shock absorption without unnecessary ...
user39728
2
votes
1
answer
119
views
Why might particulate matter be shaken loose during Crew Dragon Demo-1 launch?
Here is the picture of Expedition 58 crew members enter the Dragon 2 of Crew Dragon Demo-1 for the first time. They are wearing protective gear to avoid breathing particulate matter that may have ...
- 23
2
votes
1
answer
543
views
How is PICA different from other heat shielding materials?
What are the differences and why did SpaceX prefer to use PICA?
6
votes
0
answers
102
views
SpaceX Dragon Shape: Power Series, Ellipsoid, or Haack/Von Karman?
The SpaceX Dragon module has a round apex typical of power series, ellipsoid, and Haack/Von Karman shapes. I'm wondering which of these SpaceX actually used. References would be appreciated.
My guess ...
user36480
3
votes
0
answers
106
views
Is there an official flight profile of the reentry of the Dragon spacecraft? [duplicate]
I wonder whether there's an official plan of the reentry and landing of either the former Dragon spacecraft or the Dragon V2/Crew Dragon, with details like altitudes, velocities, burn length and ...
- 458
7
votes
2
answers
639
views
How could SpaceX’s crew Dragon land with abort thrusters in case of emergencies?
Reading this question and this article linked in one answer, in case of two or three main parachute failure, how could super-dracos be able to slow down vertical velocity short before touchdown, since ...
user19132
2
votes
0
answers
66
views
Why was the SpaceX Demo 2 spashdown livestream so devoid of visuals?
Today's successful splashdown was tremendously boring compared to what we are used to from SpaceX launches. The mission statistics, the timeline, inner cockpit, etc was not shown during the telecast. ...
- 482
8
votes
1
answer
621
views
What goes in the bottom of the Dragon structural dome?
The Dragon has a structural dome shaped like a truncated cone (A below) on a stubby cylinder (B).
Q: Is the crew section entirely in the truncated cone, or is it split in two stories with the second ...
user36480
4
votes
1
answer
989
views
What are these cartridges with holes on the Dragon trunk?
You can see them on the rim in a hexagonal pattern in the picture below. Also present in the latest version of the Dragon trunk, but less clearly than here. They alternate in color from nickel to ...
user36480
6
votes
1
answer
491
views
Is the Falcon 9 second stage engine throttled down to limit maximum acceleration
Is the Falcon 9 second stage Merlin vacuum engine throttled down during its burn to limit the maximum acceleration experienced by the Dragon or Crew Dragon capsule?
As the second stage consumes ...
- 674
6
votes
1
answer
193
views
What is the specified procedure to follow if there is a fail to create an airtight seal during hard dock?
I was watching the docking process of Dragon to the ISS including both the "soft dock" process, which was then followed by the hard dock involving 2 sets of 6 locking mechanisms.
I believe I'm ...
- 161