NASA and SpaceX are collaborating again, as the government agency tests pressure vessels the SpaceX wishes to incorporate into its Crew Dragon family of spacecraft.
The Crew Dragon has been a long-time project for SpaceX, announced back in 2006. At the time, SpaceX CEO referred to the Dragon as a "mix between Apollo and Soyuz," implying that the ship would have the crew-carrying components of the American Apollo shuttles and the ability to act as a cargo freighter for the International Space Station, like the Soviet Soyuz. It's reached the latter goal first, with several successful launches and one notable failure in 2015. Now it's setting sights on manned travel.
That requires making sure the pressure vessels, the area in which the astronauts sit during their ride into orbit, are up to the most grueling of scenarios. SpaceX has already released a slick promotional video of what the insides of the Crew Dragon will look like.
While NASA did not reveal what specific tests the Crew Dragon is running through, the Administration's Johnson Space Center (JSC) notes that structural testing can include "cyclic testing up to 100 Hz," temperatures ranging from -300 °F to 800 °F, load capacities of up to 220,000 pounds, and actuator capacities of up to 150,00 pounds. The JSC also notes that "nondestructive" testing components are crucial as well, including x-rays and evaluations of tech inside the ship.
NASA and SpaceX have a long and, at times, bumpy history. While SpaceX is funded by venture capital and has a long-term goal of colonizing Mars, the bulk of its profits currently come from launching satellites into orbit, and NASA 's contract is an important one. After the 2015 crash of a Dragon carrying materials meant for the ISS, NASA received discounted prices for SpaceX missions.
Source:Popular Science
David Grossman is a staff writer for PopularMechanics.com. He's previously written for The Verge, Rolling Stone, The New Republic and several other publications. He's based out of Brooklyn.
