When it comes to all of the spaceraft and space missions run in the United States, NASA basically has complete control. However, there is a new company rising up outside of government control and they have developed the only running, functional spacecraft outside of NASA.
The Dragon Cargo Capsule by Space X is the only unmanned spacecraft currently running and has the important job of transporting much-needed supplies and materials from Earth to the International Space Station (ISS) and back. It is currently capable of holding over 6,000 pounds of materials, food, supplies, and equipment on its departure to the ISS and is capable of bringing back approximately 4,000 pounds of the same cargo on its return trip.
The current mission that the Dragon Cargo Capsule will be undertaking will take place on April 13th of this year. The plan is to send more than 4,300 pounds of food, supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. The liftoff will take place from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40.
The Dragon Cargo Capsule is currently running under an agreement for NASA’s Commercial Resupply Contract in which the Dragon has permission to use NASA’s facilities and helps deliver what they need. The Dragon Cargo Capsule has many different functions and capabilities, some of which are currently being worked on.
Right now, the Dragon Cargo Capsule is only able to transport cargo from Earth to the ISS and back. The ultimate goal is that it will be able to take up to 7 people into space safely. SpaceX is currently working with NASA on the needed upgrades and renovations so that Dragon will be able to safely meet the requirements and expectations for this job.
The Dragon Cargo Capsule also has the capabilities for one of the best labs in the world, and one of the only ones that can actually work while in space. It is currently working on its DragonLab, which will provide astronauts and space scientists the ability to perform experiments on the ship. It is also currently equipped with freezers for holding biological samples. This can come very much in handy when performing these studies and tests.
The Dragon Cargo Capsule is very much going to be the top way to travel to space once all of the renovations and upgrades have been completed. It will be designed with the ability to have manual control over the spacecraft, as well as a powered escape launch system in the case of an emergency.
NASA and SpaceX together are revolutionizing what we know about the space industry. The use of the Dragon Cargo Capsule has been of great benefit to NASA and is capable of carrying out missions anywhere from two weeks to two years in length. The hope is that Dragon will be taking people to space in the next two to three years. There is much to learn about space and the mysteries of what lies within. With this great technology available, we are one step closer to reaching those goals.
