SpaceX Completes Orbit and Entry Review for Commercial Crew Program

Artist concept of SpaceX’s crewed Dragon spacecraft in orbit.Image Credit: SpaceX

Artist concept of SpaceX’s crewed Dragon spacecraft in orbit. Image Credit: SpaceX

[Satellite TODAY 08-16-13] NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) partner Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) recently reviewed the systems critical to sustaining crews in orbit and returning them safely to Earth aboard the company’s Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX is one of three commercial space companies working under NASA’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative to develop spaceflight capabilities that eventually could provide launch services to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from U.S. soil.

The review detailed equipment and software aboard Dragon that would help guide crews to the ISS for rendezvous and docking operations. This included discussion on SpaceX’s planning for software code, which is just as critical as the hardware design. The company also described how the spacecraft will be operated both by its onboard crew and by ground controllers.

The orbit and entry review was the seventh milestone for SpaceX under CCiCap. The company is on track to complete all 15 of its CCiCap milestones by the summer of 2014.