SpaceX ends Crew Dragon Production

Caps fleet at 4.

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With a fleet of four Crew Dragon vehicles and experience in re-using them, it isn’t clear they have a need for any more given the current flight rate to the ISS and a few other private missions. The capsule is fully reusable, with only refurbishment or replacement of the heat shield after a mission. The “trunk” section, which is discarded before re-entry, will have to continue to be manufactured new for each Dragon 2 flight.

After all, NASA got along with no more than four space shuttles, and that vehicle took a lot more time and work to turn around between launches than Crew Dragon.

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The elephant in the room is the potential need to replace Russian hardware.

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The unappreciated risk also includes the raw materials, such as titanium, magnesium, noble gases, grain. Even if suitable supplies can be developed from elsewhere (a process that might take years), the price is going to be significantly higher.

On the other hand, the desire of many humans to get off Earth and get to Mars will also increase!

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