SpaceX Dragon: Viable Replacement Of The NASA Space Shuttle?

Given that the NASA Space Shuttle has been retired since 2011, will Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft the most viable American made replacement of the Space Shuttle?

By: Ringo Bones

Since NASA retired its Space Shuttle program back in 2011, the search has been on for a cheaper, safer alternative transport that can take American astronauts to the International Space Station. Unfortunately, the “safest” and “cheapest” existing alternative so far has been the Russian Soyuz spacecraft despite dating from the 1960s, this Soviet era Korolev Design Bureau, now RKK Energia run, spacecraft has been the only way for astronauts to reach the International Space Station. It wasn’t until March 3, 2019 that Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon’s successful test flight to the ISS that America finally has a home-grown replacement for the Space Shuttle.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk named it after the Peter, Paul and Mary song Puff The Magic Dragon, the Dragon spacecraft achieved its maiden flight back in December 2010 and was originally designed as a vehicle for paying space tourists to reach into low Earth orbit. After the NASA Space Shuttle was retired back in 2011 due to safety and reliability issues – as in no comparable spacecraft with a 21^st Century era computer was offered as a viable replacement, every astronaut going to the ISS were hitching a ride instead into the Soyuz.

With a successful test back in March 3, 2019 with a sensor filled dummy named Ripley – named after Lt. Ellen Ripley from the Alien move franchise – the computer guided SpaceX Dragon successfully docked with the International Space Station after it was launched atop the Falcon 9 two stage to orbit launch vehicle. With computer control, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft safely survived the reentry stage to return safely to the Earth. With the recent successful test, NASA already considers manned tests of the Dragon spacecraft as soon as July 2019. Although Boeing has a similar spacecraft and NASA had been working on its own Space Launch System before the Space Shuttle was retired, it seems that Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon could become a very viable Space Shuttle replacement when it comes to ferrying astronauts into the International Space Station.