For the first time in history, a private space rocket and capsule have successfully carried two astronauts to the International Space Station in Earth orbit.
It should be noted that the US sent the last space shuttle for astronauts in 2011. And now two astronauts have been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) by Elon Musk’s private company SpaceX. Experts have called it a historic step in which SpaceX has played its full role for the first time.
On Saturday, two NASA astronauts, Doug Hurley and Bob Behn, were delivered to the ISS orbit by Dragon spacecraft, and the astronauts have since stepped into the ISS.
The SpaceX company previously tested its rocket and entire system and made 20 flights to the ISS from 2012 to 2020 and delivered supplies there. During this time, the Dragon payload system was improved and many changes were made to its design. Then in May 2014, Elon Musk presented a design for a seven-person Dragon capsule that was largely similar to the Apollo space vehicle. However, the Dragon was designed to carry extra weight and people.
Interestingly, the Dragon capsule will bring the astronauts back to Earth and is equipped with 16 thrusters that help the vehicle travel to its destination in orbit. SpaceX company has said that its design has been changed by us to make it look like a spaceship of the 21st century. The interior is dotted with touchscreens that provide various controls.
The difficult phase of returning to earth
It should be noted that the Dragon space capsule’s return to Earth will also be a big challenge because it will fall into the ocean while traveling at 25 times the speed of sound on Earth. In this process, the surface of the capsule will become extremely hot, which experts have expressed their concern about. Elon Musk is also worried about this.
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2024-08-19 19:28:30
