SpaceX's Crew Dragon has that 'new car smell' and flies 'totally different' than a NASA shuttle

[Admin]

It was "huffing and puffing" on the way to orbit, astronauts say.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon has that 'new car smell' and flies 'totally different' than a NASA shuttle : Read more

 

[YetAnotherBob]

It's a much smaller vehicle than the Space Shuttle was. Just like a small car lets you feel every bump in the road, while a big caddy or Hummer feels smooth. It's a simple question of mass.

I did note however that in the post launch press conference, the astronauts both said that the Shuttle did shake and rattle when the solid boosters were firing.

Dragon had its roughest ride when using the second stage, from what the astronauts said.

 

[Grthinker]

This comment from the article, "The return flight could be a bit more uncomfortable (and dangerous) than the launch, with the capsule plummeting through the atmosphere at high speeds and extreme temperatures. " "A bit more dangerous...",? That seems like nonsense to me: considering that the crew dragon is largely the same as the cargo dragon, and the heat shield has been thoroughly tested.

 

[Martin_Hedington]

Wait till they unload the three crates of Bud from the trunk...

 

[P4cooler]

About returning to earth... the parachute system must be the most reliable and least expensive way for them to come home. Light weight too. The Russians suffered a failed parachute in the 60s but that was the only parachute incident I am aware of. Hopefully we will see the day where we can safely descend with systems that are immune from effects of earth's gravitation. Very impressive so far!

 

[JDClayton]

This comment from the article, "The return flight could be a bit more uncomfortable (and dangerous) than the launch, with the capsule plummeting through the atmosphere at high speeds and extreme temperatures. " "A bit more dangerous...",? That seems like nonsense to me: considering that the crew dragon is largely the same as the cargo dragon, and the heat shield has been thoroughly tested.

I remember Elon saying in an interview that one of his concerns was that on reentry the bulges for the super Dracos could affect the stability of the flow around the capsule. He didn't elaborate but at reentry velocities, I could see where any flow disruption would be a concern. Demo1 made it down OK, so let's hope that proves to be the rule.

 

[Lovethrust]

This comment from the article, "The return flight could be a bit more uncomfortable (and dangerous) than the launch, with the capsule plummeting through the atmosphere at high speeds and extreme temperatures. " "A bit more dangerous...",? That seems like nonsense to me: considering that the crew dragon is largely the same as the cargo dragon, and the heat shield has been thoroughly tested.

That doesn’t mean it still won’t be more dangerous than the ascent.