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Oldfart1939

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Registered: 2016-11-26

Posts: 2,379

SpaceX is backing away from 2018 Red Dragon Mars landing mission...

In a report by Spacefiightinsider.com, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell stated that the company has all but given up on a 2018 Mars landing by a previously flown Man Rated Dragon capsule. The September 2016 "incident" caused delays in flying manned rated capsules until late this year.

Last edited by Oldfart1939 (2017-02-18 20:58:42)

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: SpaceX is backing away from 2018 Red Dragon Mars landing mission...

http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organ … xs-future/

Red Dragon

Shotwell confirmed that SpaceX has all but given up on launching a Dragon capsule toward Mars in 2018 as part of the company’s Red Dragon program.

“We were focused on 2018, but we felt like we needed to put more resources and focus more heavily on our crew program and our Falcon Heavy programs,” Shotwell said.

The goal of Red Dragon is to take an unpiloted Crew Dragon spacecraft that was previously flown and put it on a Falcon Heavy to send it to the Red Planet. Launch windows to send spacecraft to Mars open every 26 months. As such, the next opportunity for the company to send a Dragon to the planet would be 2020. The added time also means there is more time for payloads to be developed for the spacecraft.

“We can fly more in 2020 because people are more ready than they are in 2018,” Shotwell said, adding even an empty Dragon would be the largest payload ever landed on the red planet.

“We’ve got our sight on Mars for now,” Shotwell said. “Frankly I think destinations outside the Solar System are more exciting than Mars, but we’ve got Mars […]. We’ll try to get to Mars very quickly, actually. We’re very focused on accelerating that program as much as we can without losing sight of the important work we’re doing now.”

Not to be confused with the Crewed Dragon which is this image ofwhich is expecting delays as well.

GW Johnson

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From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,455

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Re: SpaceX is backing away from 2018 Red Dragon Mars landing mission...

At least CRS-10 went off perfect Sunday AM.  Including the booster returning and landing.  Well done,  Spacex.

It is wise to pursue the higher priorities of working down the backlog,  getting crewed Dragon flying,  and getting Falcon-Heavy flying. 

GW

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GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"