SpaceX's Dragon Spaceship Now Capable of Rocketeer-Style Emergency Landing
Drag's got a secret backup landing move in case things go south during its ocean splashdown. After a string of successful parachute-assisted splashdowns with NASA crews, SpaceX's Dragon now has the option to make a propulsive landing using its eight SuperDraco thrusters in an emergency.
Initially designed for propulsive landings, this feature was dropped due to safety concerns during the early days of Dragon's development. However, fast forward ten years, and now, with NASA's seal of approval, Dragon can gracefully descend with its SuperDracos launch abort system, should all four parachutes fail to deploy.
SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk hinted at this backup plan, writing on X, detailing the original intent to use the SuperDracos as the primary landing method. During the early stages, SpaceX marketed Dragon's ability to glide back to Earth using its eight powerful engines, slowing itself with just enough force for its landing legs to properly touch down.
However, after being awarded the Commercial Crew Program contract by NASA, SpaceX discovered that the agency preferred the parachute landing system and harbored concerns about the openings for the extendable legs possibly forming hot spots during reentry, which could potentially lead to crew capsule breakdown.
During the Crew-9 launch webcast, Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability, confirmed that propulsively landing Dragons have flown on unmanned missions before, but the Crew-9 mission marked the first time it was used for a crewed mission.
With a stellar track record, NASA has every reason to trust SpaceX's ability to transport and return its crew safely to Earth. The Dragon spacecraft that recently embarked on a mission to the International Space Station also rescued two astronauts who had launched on Boeing's ill-fated Starliner spacecraft. This zero-hero moment may have hastened the approval to keep Dragon's propulsive landing system handy in case an emergency strikes.
Just like a superhero with a mask, Dragon's propulsive landing secret could be the knight in shining armor when it's needed the most!
- SpaceX's Dragon, initially designed to perform propulsive landings, now has the option for a propulsive landing using its eight SuperDraco thrusters as a backup, in case the parachutes fail during ocean splashdown.
- Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, hinted at this backup plan in his writings on X, highlighting the original intent to use the SuperDracos as the primary landing method but was dropped due to safety concerns.
- During NASA's Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX discovered that NASA preferred the parachute landing system and had concerns about potential hot spots forming during reentry with the extendable leg openings, which could potentially lead to crew capsule breakdown.
- On the Crew-9 mission, SpaceX's Dragon marked its first crewed mission using the propulsive landing system, demonstrating its readiness to act as a backup in cases of emergencies, much like a superhero ready to save the day when needed.